When Your World Comes Tumbling Down
by Mr. Alaska
Summary: What would happen if Red and Purple told Zim the sad truth? What will Zim do when he finds out his mission was a fake? What will he do when everything he lived for is ended right before his eyes? Tak comes back for revenge. But will she get it? R&R! ZATR!
1. Zim, the Defective Invader

Rating: T

Main Pairing: Zim/Tak

Author's Notes: Hello yet again, my loyal readers. I know you all were looking forward to another update for Evil is Only Skin Deep, The Two Demons of Konoha, etc. Well, I am sorry to inform you that I am in another rough patch. But don't worry, some good stuff is on the horizon, I promise. I just need some time to give you all QUALITY work, and not just ASAP work….. I try to give as good of quality in each chapter as possible. But lately, that has been getting difficult for me. But like I said, I just need to write about less serious stuff for the time being, just to cool off my already overworked brain. So… I thought a short Invader Zim story would be the answer. I hope none of you are mad at me. I want some awesome Naruto stories too. But, this process seems to work for me. In maybe a week, I'll have another chapter for one of my popular Naruto stories ready for ya. I promise. But until then, I hope you enjoy this new addition to my story collection. Hope to hear from y'all soon. And don't forget to leave plenty of reviews. PEACE!

Chapter 1: Zim, the Defective Invader

_**RING!**_

'Finally,' Zim shouted in his head, as he sat up from his desk. It was another long, boring, depressing day at "Skool" for the Irken alien invader Zim. He was working on yet another crazy and stupid plan on how to take over Earth, and tonight was the night he was going to start it. 'These pitiful _humans_ may have escaped my previous plans, thanks to the Dib-Scum, but not tonight!' As he walked out the classroom, Dib, who rarely EVER takes his eyes off Zim, was, as you could guess, examining the alien's behavior.

'He has something planned,' he thought, putting all of his books and pencils in his backpack. 'Better follow him.' But, as Zim exited the class along with all of the other students, Ms. Bitters stood up.

"Mr. Membrane," she snarled, in her nails-on-chalkboard voice. Dib turned around, curious as to what she wanted. "You are to stay after class and clean my erasers." Dib frowned. "Need I remind you about the incident earlier this afternoon?"

"That was ZIMS fault," the boy barked in defense… yet again. "He was the one who brought those frogs to Skool!" You see, earlier that day, the Skool hallways were swarmed with multi-colored frogs, which were set loose during lunch.

"Oh really?" Ms. Bitters asked. "Then why were there two purple frogs in your locker after the whole ordeal?" It was true. Shortly after the whole incident was taken care of, Ms. Bitters was roaming the halls for any more oddly colored frogs. And, unfortunately, as Dib was opening his locker, two large, purple frogs leapt out of his locker, startling the poor boy almost to death. Ms. Bitters saw that, an accused him of being the culprit. But, when the bell rang for the start of the last period of the day, she growled and said, "I'll deal with you after class."

But Dib still kept it clear. "It was Zim! He's just getting back at me for foiling his "Take Over Earth" plan last week! He was going to place bombs in the sewers all around the city and then…."

"Likely story," the old, miserable teacher interrupted sarcastically. "Just for that, you now have two days of after Skool detention. Anything ELSE you want to add, Mr. Membrane?"

Clenching his knuckles in frustration, Dib began shaking with anger, but reluctantly shook his head. "No, Ms. Bitters. No I don't."

_**Meanwhile, at Zim's House…**_

Zim walked in, already throwing off his wig and taking out his lenses. Gir was sitting on the couch, covered in nacho cheese, watching the Scary Monkey Show. When Zim walked up, the psychotic SIR unit smiled like a idiot. "Hello Master," he shouted loudly, "I made Triple Cheesy NACHOS! NACHOS!" He then began laughing hysterically… apparently from what he said. Zim groaned tiredly, and smacked himself on the forehead.

"I swear you will be the death of me," he whispered under his breath, before straightening up. He took a serious frown and looked down at his robotic companion. "Gir! Clean yourself up immediately and follow me! After I inform the Almighty Tallest ( Or are they called Tallests, with an "S" at the end?) about my plat to take over this pathetic world, I will commence Operation: Can't Possible Fail This Time! For I am the mighty ZIM! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He then started laughing like crazy.

"BRAAAHAAHAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!" Gir started laughing along. After about 15 seconds of continuous laughing, Zim stopped… but Gir kept on going. Another 15 seconds later, the insane SIR finally stopped. "….. Okay," he said, calmly. All of a sudden, the top of his head popped open, and a long hose came out. It began to vacuum all of the chips and nacho cheese off him. Then, when it was all done, it retracted right back into Gir's seemingly bottomless head.

"Umm…. Okay," Zim said, scratching the back of his head. "Alright! Follow me!" They walked into the kitchen, stepped inside the large "Trash can" and were dropped inside an underground elevator.

"This plan will go without a single hitch," Zim continued, pressing the button that read "Last Floor". "Thanks to my brilliant scheming, the dumb human Dib with be stuck at Skool. I brought hundreds of this planets disgusting hopping creatures called "Frogs" to Skool and unleashed them upon the unsuspecting student population! And poor Dib was left with the blame…. It was MAGNIFICENT!"

"OH! I LOVE FROGGIES," Gir cried, interrupting another one of Zim's evil laughs. "Their small, green, and hop around going, "RIBIT! RIBIT," like this." The malfunctioning SIR proceeded to hop around the elevator, making the noise frogs make.

"GIR! This is no time to start acting crazy," Zim fumed. "After tonight, the Tallest with FINALLY recognize me for the superior Invader I am! They will see that ZIM is the greatest Invader of all time, for single handily conquering a planet! It will be glorious!"

Then, Gir smiled and straighten up. That's when they reached the last floor of Zim humongous underground base. "I hope you're ready to leave this miserable planet, Gir," Zim said, as he typed on the large computer in the middle of the room, "because after tonight, we will be leaving for home!"

_**Meanwhile, Deep in Space…**_

Aboard the Massive, the two Tallest sat in the control room, eating donuts. "This is the life, isn't it?" Red asked, after swallowing a mouth full of donuts. "We haven't had a call from the pain in the ass Zim in over a whole week! I think he might've actually died on the worthless planet." The two shared a evil chuckle. "Pass me another soda."

Reaching into the cooler, Purple pulled out a soda and tossed it to Red. "Yeah…. But I wouldn't count on it," Red raised a eyebrow at the statement, as he took a drink from his soda. "That annoying twerp is like a cockroach. The fucker can survive almost anything." The two continued to talk about how much they hated the small Invader, when the large screen in front of them began to flash red. One of their men turned to them.

"My lords, we have an incoming transmission."

"Where is it coming from," Red asked, already having a good idea where.

"The transmission is coming from Earth."

Purple let out a loud sigh, while Red merely slumped down in his chair, massaging his temples. "I knew it had to end sometime," Red mumbled, sitting back up. When Purple took his seat, the two nodded.

The screen turned into Zim, with Gir standing oddly still in the background. "Greetings, my glorious Tallest," Zim began, with a booming voice. The two Irken leaders silently groaned at the annoying Invader's voice. "I come to you with a….

"Hello tall people," Gir interrupted, jumping on Zim's head and waving at them. "It's me! GIR!" Zim pulled Gir off his head, turned, and throw him into a pile of spare robotic parts. He turned back to the Tallest and cleared his throat.

"A thousand apologies, my Tallest. As I was saying, I come to you with a message of DESTRUCTION! My latest plan will go into foliation this very…."

"Okay Zim, you can stop right there," Purple interrupted, sending the alien boy a dark glare. "We aren't interested."

Zim was silent for a moment. He wasn't expecting the response would be like this. But, he smile obliviously and nodded his head. "I understand, my Tallest. These pathetic life forms have proven surprisingly resilient and lucky. And I know my previous world domination plans weren't as satisfactory as I wished…. BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT!" Zim was trying to reassure his leaders about his plan. "I'm all set! I plan to…"

"We said we aren't interested, Zim," once again, he was interrupted. It was by Red this time. "We don't want to hear another one of your half baked schemes again. We're done." His voice was ice cold to Zim, who now thought this was some kind of joke.

"Oh, I see," he said, chuckling to himself. "This is some sort of attempt at humor, is it not?"

With a heavy sigh, Red folded his arms across his chest. "Zim…. Do you remember how many innocent Irken lives you took during Operation: Impending Doom I?"

Zim froze when he was reminded of that. He looked down, with his hands behind his back. "Umm…. Well, you see…. Umm…."

"7,284," Red continued. "You took 7,284 innocent Irken lives that day. Over half of them being fellow Irken Invaders. Now, do you also recall how much damage you caused that day?"

"M-my Tallest," Zim stuttered, "Operation: Impending Doom I w-was just a…."

"You cost over 100,000,000,000 Irken monies of damage," Purple answered. "Because of YOU, Operation Impending Doom I failed. We needed to replenish the ranks with new soldiers. And because of the damaged, we were in one of the worst economic crisis' in Irken history."

".….." Zim didn't know what to say. So far, everything the Tallest was saying was true. He also couldn't respond because he was so stunned. Never had the Tallest addressed him with such anger. Sure, after Operation: Impending Doom I failed, he was punished by the Tallest. But up until now, what happened back then seemed mild compared to now. As he stared blankly at his furious leaders, Red finally snapped.

"Zim, do you want to know why we sent you to Earth?"

Zim looked up into the screen, nervous. "Umm…. You wanted me to c-conquer this pla…"

"We sent you there so that for once and for all, you would finally be out of our lives!" Zim's eyes snapped open when he heard this. "You are a manic to the Irken Empire," Red continued. "All your life, the only thing you were good at was causing trouble for your own people. You barely managed to pass the training to become a Invader, and when we finally gave you a chance to prove yourself, you kill 7,284 Irkens and cost the planet over 100,000,000,000 monies! You were NEVER an Invader, Zim. And you will NEVER be one." Zim began shaking.

"You weren't even supposed to land on any planet," Purple added. "We were supposed to drift aimlessly through space until you were dead. But you got lucky and ended up landing on the one you are on now. You can't even DIE right!" Zim began biting his bottom lip. "Don't you understand now, Zim? You are a Defective! You were a MISTAKE! You were never meant to be an Invader. And we're finally sick and tired playing along with pretending you were one. As of this moment, you are officially BANISHED!" Zim dropped to his knees in shock, with tears slowly starting to form in his big red eyes. "And if you are thinking about calling us back, do yourself a favor and DON'T. We might just let you live the remainder of you life on that pathetic excuse of a planet and not just kill you. Good bye Zim, and good riddance." Red gave the signal, and one of his men cut the transmission.

At first, there was awkward silence. Then….

"!" The whole control room erupted into uncontrollable laughter. Men who working at the computer consoles were either on the edge of their seats laughing, or rolling on the ground… laughing. The Tallest were the ones who were laughing the most. Tears were streaming down their faces, and the continued to laugh, even though their very tears burned their skin.

"OHMYIRK! Please tell me someone recorded that," Red cried, wiping the tears from his eyes. One guy, who was gasping for air, raised one arm in the air and gave him a thumbs up. "HAHAHAHA! We can watch it again at dinner!"

"HAHAHAHA! Did you see his face? Priceless," Purple added, now also gasping for air.

But the laughter ended soon enough.

_**BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**_

The computer began flashing red again. Getting back on his feet, Red raised a eyebrow. "Is it coming from Earth again?" He asked, someone annoyed.

The one operating the computer shook his head. "No sure. It seems to be coming from a…" The man paused before continuing. "The transmission is coming from a VOOT escape pod. It signal is strong. Should I patch it through?" Both Red and Purple nodded their heads.

When the transmission was connected, everybody froze. On screen was an Irken girl, with dark purple eyes. She seemed almost starved to death, and was no doubt completely dehydrated. Her clothes resembled that of a Irken uniform, which was wrinkled and tattered. She was barely able to keep her eyes open. She was laying back in her chair, breathing heavily.

"M-m-my T-T-Tallest," she began, in a soft voice. "P-please… I r-require h-h-help…. B-been drifting in s-space for nearly s-s-six months….. Please…." That's when she fell into unconsciousness.

It was Tak…..

_**To Be Continued….. **_

HOLY CRAP! That was NOT COOL! It looks like Red and Purple finally told Zim the sad truth. He is no longer a Invader. But what will happen now? How will he cope? What will he do now that he is no longer considered a Invader? And what will happen when Tak is taken onto the Massive? All questions will be answered in the next chapter. Please excuse me if there are some grammar or spelling errors in here. Please come to me and inform me if any of you see any. I hope to hear from you all soon. PEACE!


	2. Two Birds One Stone

Rating: T

Main Pairing: Zim/Tak

Author's Notes: Hello again. Well, like I said in the first chapter, I'm only writing this until I get some inspiration for any of my Naruto stories. Just thought I should remind all of you that. And second, sorry that the first chapter was short. It was late at night over here in Alaska, and I just decided to stop the chapter there. And sorry for the grammar and spelling errors, as well. I will try to work on that, and the length of every chapter. I hope you all enjoy this story to the fullest. The will be some ZATR, but it won't be immediate, like in other Invader Zim fanfics. I'm gonna pace the fluffiness at first… after Tak tries to kill Zim. Oops! Spoiler Alert! Ha! I bet you already knew she'd come back to kill him, anywayz. Hope you enjoy the chapter, and please leave plenty of reviews if liked. PEACE!

Chapter 2: Two Birds One Stone

Tak awoke to the sounds of people talking over her. She was still extremely weak from her six months of drifting in space without sufficient food and water, but she still had the strength to slowly open her eyes. When Tak slowly opened her eyes, she saw three Irken doctors standing over her, examining her charts and vital signs on machines. Slowly and stiffly, Tak turned her head to see where she was. She was in a big, empty room, laying in a recovery bed, with tubes and wires connecting from veins in her arms to multiple machines. Her purple Irken Invader uniform was removed, and replaced with standard hospital gown. She must be in one of the Massive's recovery rooms, she thought.

When her consciousness was noticed by one of the doctors, he chuckled. "Well, welcome back to the world of the living, Invader Tak," he began, causing the weak Irken girl to turn towards him. "You sure got lucky this time," he continued, taking the chart from one of the other doctors. "You were severely starved and dehydrated. Another day or two and you would've be dead for sure. Fortunately, you winded up drifting right in the path of the Massive, of all things. I would consider that one big ass lucky break."

"….." Tak wanted to speak, but she couldn't. She was about to panic, when she finally noticed the reason for her inability to speak. She had a large tube going down her throat, to keep her breathing while she was unconscious. She looked at her doctor, then darted her eyes at the tube repeatedly. When the doctor got what she was trying to say, he smirked.

"Well, it might be a little too early," he sighed, reaching for the tube, "but I suppose you can handle going off support early, if you're the same Tak I've heard so much about." After taking the tape off from around the edged of the tube, the Irken doctor slowly removed it from Tak's throat.

Tak let out a violent cough when the air tube slid out of her throat. But after taking a few deep breaths on her own, she stabled herself, and started breathing regularly. And at the moment, Tallest Red and Tallest Purple walked in, both with calm expressions.

"We would like to speak to Invader Tak in private, please," Red started, walking up to the end of Tak's bed. The three doctors nodded their heads, and walked out of the recovery room silently. When the door slid close behind them, Red cleared his throat. "It seems that your, "Mission of Vengeance," didn't quite work out as according to plan, eh Tak?" Tak looked to the side. She could tell that her leaders were somewhat disappointed in her.

When Purple saw the girl's discouraged expression, he shook his head. "Oh, don't think we're disappointed in you, Tak," he reassured. "It's obvious that you can handle Zim by yourself. You just underestimated the humans, is all." You see, during her mission to steal Zim's mission, Tak informed them about how the boy Dib was the one who would foil every one of Zim's plans. "I can only assume that human boy Dib assisted Zim in taking you down, am I right?"

Hesitantly, Tak nodded. "Y-yes," she answered weakly. "Wh-while I was b-battling Zim, that D-Dib human stopped my p-plan on E-Earth…" She started to cough again. When she was done coughing, she suddenly remembered something. "Wh-where is Mimi?"

"Your SIR unit?" Red asked. "Well, she was pretty messed up when the technicians found her… but she should be repaired by now." The two leaders witnessed Tak release a sigh of relief. Tallest Red cleared his throat again, to get the girl's attention. "We need you to go on another mission to Earth…. This time, it will be a OFFICIAL mission as a Invader."

This came as a surprise to Tak. She failed the last time she tried invading Earth. Why would the Tallest entrust her with another? She needed to know. "I-I'm honored, my T-Tallest…. B-but what would y-you have me do?"

Purple smiled wickedly. "Does the name, "Zim," mean anything to you?" He asked, knowing all too well how much Tak hated him. Tak's once tired and weak demeanor charged into scornful and furious the moment he brought up Zim's name. "We thought you might."

"We just got done informing Zim that his "mission" on Earth was a fake, right before we received your transmission," Red continued, with Tak having the strength to sit up. "And while a life without hearing from that little green pain in the ass is wonderful in theory, we unfortunately also lose a form of _entertainment_." Tak raised a eyebrow when she heard this. "You see, me and Purple took somewhat of a pleasure in hearing Zim's pathetic excuses for why his idiotic plans fail. And now that he knows that it have all been a joke, we ultimately lost our favorite form of entertainment."

Tak nodded her head, understanding what the Tallest were saying. Simply put, they love messing around with Zim. She could understand that. She wouldn't mind having their kind of fun. But there was something she couldn't figure out. "My Tallest," she began, now not having to catch her breath. "While I understand your dilemma, what do you wish of me?"

Purple looked down at her with a cocky grin. "While at the training academy, you and Zim were always butting heads with one another, right?"

Tak frowned at this, but it was true. She and Zim were always competing with one another in practically EVERYTHING. The other Invader-trainees were at sometimes afraid to get in between them, fearing that it would end up ending their lives. When either one of their work accomplish something that would be acknowledged, the other would work to best it. And, while she would never admit it, she sometimes had a hard time trying to beat his best. But ultimately, his enlarged ego is why she was able to best him in most cases.

Tak looked at Purple, and nodded. "…. Yes."

"That is why we need you," Red jumped in. Both he and Purple were now smiling devilishly. "You see, out of all of the other Invader-trainees, YOU were the one who was able to get underneath Zim's skin the most. He hates it that you were better than he was. So, your mission: Return to Earth and make Zim's life as miserable as possible." Tak, after hearing the main goal of the mission, couldn't help but crack a evil smile.

This was the kind of mission she would've killed for. To be assigned to torture Zim, the cause of all of her misery, was something she only dreamed about. Now, with her strength restored, Tak slid off the bed and onto her feet. Then, she got down on one knee, and bowed to Red and Purple.

"I joyfully accept this mission…."

_**Meanwhile, Back at Earth…..**_

'….. A Defective…..' Zim thought, laying on his couch. Even though it has been an hour since the Tallest told him the truth, he was still devastated beyond belief. Tears rolled down the sides of his face, burning him in the process. But he could care less about PHYSICAL pain by this point. 'All this time… I thought the Tallest and all of the other Irken Invaders respected me…. All this time, I thought I was doing good for the sake of the mighty Irken Empire. But all this time, I've been nothing more than a Defective Invader, who's very existence was scorned. The Tallest even admitted to trying to KILL me…. How could I have been so blind?'

Gir sat on the other side of the couch, watching his master with a sad expression. Uncharacteristically, Gir was trying not being loud, annoying, or disruptive. "….. Master," he squeaked, quietly. "Umm…. Do you wanna watch the Scary Monkey Show with me and Minimoose?" He asked. The little floating moose squeaked a couple of times. "Minimoose wants you to be less sad… Please?"

Zim tilted his head to look at Gir and Minimoose, and shot them an emotionless look. "…. No…. I don't want to watch the Scary Monkey Show with you and Minimoose." Then, he pulled a blanket from out of his PAK, covered himself, and turned to his side, facing away from the television. Gir moaned in disappointment, then he and Minimoose went into the other room.

Now alone again, Zim was left with his thoughts. '…. What now?' Zim thought, as he pulled the covers over his head. 'What do I do now? I've been banished here for the rest of my life. But I can't stay here! I just CAN'T!' Then there was a knock at the door. Letting out a depressed sigh, Zim got up, put on his wig and lenses, and answered the door.

It was Dib. But instead of it just being Dib, it was Dib, with his homemade laser-pistol aimed squarely in Zim's face. "HAHAHA! I got you now Zim," the boy laughed. "Now, what do you have planned? Huh? Gonna unleash evil, mutated rats on the world? Huh? Or are you planning on …"

Before Dib could finish, Zim reached into his PAK and pulled out a device. "There are bombs in the city sewers," Zim started, with a low, depressed sigh. "That's the radar tracking device. There are around eight of them scattered around the city. The number code to deactivate them is 7409-1311-4759." After writing down the deactivation number code on a piece of paper, Zim turned around, and closed the door. Dib just stood there, not knowing exactly what just happen.

'What the hell?' Dib thought, looking at the radar tracking device and the number code. He then looked around, wondering if this was some sort of trap. So he banged on the door again. And like before, Zim opened the door with the same expression as last time, except, with a little annoyance mixed it. "What do you REALLY have planned, Zim?" Dib asked again, pointing his laser-pistol at the alien again. "And no lies."

"…" Zim stared at him with a blank expression for about ten seconds before replying. "That was it, Dib. I was gonna blow up random parts of the city, cause mass hysteria, then wing it from there…. But I have no need to do that now." And before Dib could even deny what Zim was "selling" him, the Defective slammed the door in Dib's face.

But Dib wasn't giving up. "You can't hide from me Zim," he shouted, as he proceeded to pound on his front door. "I will discover what you're planning and stop you! You hear me? I will….!" All of a sudden, a large mechanical tentacle shot out of Zim's front lawn. It grabbed Dib by the ankle, and flung him into a passing garbage truck. And as it drove away, Dib stood up and cried, "I'LL GET YOU ZIM!"

"Stupid human," Zim growled, climbing back onto his couch. "And to think… now, I'm stuck with him and every other human on the planet." Zim was about to try to sleep, when there was a tug on his blanket. He looked, and saw Gir, holding a Irken soda. The SIR unit offered it to him, with a sad smile.

"Thirsty master?"

Zim looked at the soda, then looked at Gir. "… Sure," Zim sighed, sitting up and accepting the drink. Gir's sad grin turned into a overjoyed smile.

"HE'S BETTER! MINIMOOSE! COME HERE," Gir cried suddenly, causing Zim to spit out the soda he _was _drinking. "Master is better!" Zim watched as Gir started run around in circles, chanting ,"Master is better," over and over again. Minimoose flew in and started copying what Gir was doing. Zim wiped the excess soda from his lips and sighed to himself. Though… he was actually feeling a little bit better.

_**Back on the Massive…**_

'Okay, here I come Zim,' Tak thought, as she followed Tallest Red and Purple down the halls. She was now completely recovered. She was completely hydrated, and had just ate the biggest meal she could care to remember. She was wearing a new set of clothes. While it was exactly the same as the clothes she was wearing, this was new, fresh, and improved. It could withstand water or any other kind of liquid. And on the collar of her uniform, there was a tiny hidden camera. The Tallest wanted her to record her doing anything to Zim that they might find humorous.

Tak looked at Mimi, who was walking right beside her. The technicians also tinkered with her, as well as her VOOT Cruiser. Now, her central command hard-drive was welded in place, so nothing like last time could occur again. They also added a couple of new features, as well. But for some reason, the Tallest wanted Tak to figure out what they were on her own. But, quite frankly, Tak was too excited about her mission to be curious about Mimi's new features.

"We've been tinkering with a VOOT for you to use," Red said, as the four entered the hanger bay. "Unlike most VOOT Cruisers, this on has warp-speed. Now, just type in the coordinates, and in the blink of an eye, you will be there. Do you fully understand what your mission is?"

Tak smirked evilly, and nodded. "Yes, my Tallest," she confirmed. "I am to go to Earth, locate the Defective Invader Zim, and do everything in my power to make his life a living nightmare for your amusement." Personally, she couldn't wait to put this "plan" into motion.

"Very nice," Purple complimented, "and after we no longer find Zim's suffering amusing, we give you full permission to kill him… or continue torturing him and causing him misery. We probably wouldn't care by that point."

'Finally, this is the moment I've been dreaming of,' Tak thought, as she and Mimi stepped into the modified VOOT Cruiser. 'I'm finally going to make him pay for what he did to me. All those years of training… all those years of being the best… I was ready. But he stole the chance of becoming an Invader from me. And for that, I will make him suffer.'

Once she and Mimi were in the VOOT, Tak turned and saluted the Tallest. "I can honestly promise you that you will be entertained by what I have in store for Zim."

"We know you do," Red replied, waving back at her. "That's why we assigned YOU to do this. Remember?"

As Tak closed the door to her Cruiser, Purple leaned to Red. "Do you really think she can make Zim as miserable as she claims she can? I mean, Zim beat her once."

Red turned to Purple with a smug smirk. "I don't really care," he said, still waving to Tak as she prepared to take off. "Her quick temper almost makes her as useless of an Invader as Zim's ego. This way, we get rid of two problems with one hilarious solution. At some point, one of them is bound to die…. And with the self-destruction device our technicians implanted in Tak's SIR, we can take care of both of them when watching them fight becomes boring… clever, huh?"

As Tak's Cruiser shot into space, Purple couldn't help but laugh. "Man, you were always the cruelest of us, you know that? That's why I like you so much." The two shared a maniacal laugh together, as Tak's ship disappeared in a flash of light.

"Yeah, I know," Red said, as he and Purple made their way to the dining hall. "Want some nachos? I'm starving."

"You bet your ass I do!"

_**To Be Continued…..**_

Aw SNAP! This is some messed up sh** right here! Tak is on her was to make Zim's already miserable life worse, and she doesn't even know what the Tallest are really planning to do! Man, this seriously blows! Putting a self-destruct device inside poor Mimi? Dude, that's just cold! YOU GO TO HELL! YOU GO TO HELL AND YOU DIE! Hehehehee…. Sorry. Anyway, what did you all think about this chapter? Was it better than the first, in way of length and grammar? I sure hope so. What will happen once Tak is back as the "New Hideous Girl" at Skool? What does she have in store for poor, depressed Zim? Will everything end alright? Why am I asking all of you these questions? I should know, right? HA! Hope to hear from you all soon. Please forgive any spelling or grammar mistakes if you see any. If you do, please tell me ASAP. Don't forget to leave plenty of reviews. Hope to hear from y'all soon. PEACE!


	3. The Return of Tak

Rating: T

Main Pairing: Zim/Tak

Author's Notes: Hello again. It's Mr. Alaska again. Well, after reading a review from one of my readers, I saw that I should clear something up. The reader thought that I was planning on stopping writing this story once I get inspiration for some of my Naruto stories… I assure you, that's not true. I simply meant that once I get inspiration for my Naruto stories, I won't update _**AS MUCH**_. I plan on finishing this story. So don't worry. I assure you all that I won't just _**STOP**_ updating this story. I just felt I should make that 100% crystal clear. So, with that said, lets get back to the action! It seems like Tallest Red has some nasty shit planned for BOTH Zim and Tak… Not cool, man. Seriously. So now Zim will have to deal with the return of Tak, AND the impending threat that is sure to follow. So sit back, relax, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the ride! YEAH! XD

Chapter 3: The Return of Tak

"So what do I do know?" Zim asked himself, as he walked to Skool. It's been 24 hours since he was informed that he was never really a Invader. With an effort from Gir and Minimoose, Zim was feeling _slightly _better about it. But the question still remained. What will he do now? "Now that I am banished here, I have no need to destroy it, since it will be my new home," he concluded, "but if I'm not destroying it, what do I do here? I mean, I've been trained to annihilate and conquer civilizations at the Tallests' asking… Now I'm told to stay here for the rest of my life. It sucks… But what _can_ I do?"

As he started to near Skool, he suddenly heard someone shouting, "ZIM," behind him. Zim turned to see, who else, Dib. He was sprinting down the sidewalk to where Zim had stopped and turned. The human boy was panting, with sweat dripping down his face. His black hair was all messy, his trench coat was wrinkled, and he was gasping for air. With a crazed look on his face, Dib pointed dramatically at Zim.

"There (pant) there you are (pant) Zim," he began, gasping for air. "You won't (pant) get rid of (pant) of me this (pant) time! Now, what are you (pant) planning?" Zim sighed and slapped himself in the face. This moron just doesn't quite, Zim thought. "You're not getting away this time," Dib continued, after finally catching his breath. "Either you tell me what you are planning, or I'll _make_ you tell me."

Even though Zim knew fully well Dib was never able to live up to his threats, Zim sighed and looked at him with a straight face. "Dib… I can honestly tell you that you won't have to be worrying about me taking over and/or destroying Earth," the Irken answered, earning a surprised expression for Dib. When Dib made another accusation after what he had heard, Zim continued. "And you can finally stop obsessing over me and leave me alone." Then, without warning, Zim took off running to Skool.

Dib just stood there, not knowing what to think. He was dumbfounded. First of all, Zim didn't call him, "Dib-Human," or, "Dib-Stick," like he would normally do. Secondly, the way Zim spoke caught him off guard. He didn't go, "I am ZIM! Fear me," or anything while speaking to him. This was the first time Zim acted normal… Which made Dib even more paranoid.

Reaching into his trench coat pocket, Dib pulled out a little handheld recorder. "Note to self," he whispered, as he also made his way to Skool, "keep an extra close eye on Zim. His behavior suggests that he has something BIG planned… Bigger than any previous plan to take over the Earth." As he continued taking to himself, Gaz ( Who had been behind him all this time ) looked up from her video game and groaned.

"You need a hobby," she sighed, turning her attention back to her game. "And I mean a _NORMAL_ hobby. Not stalking aliens and being a paranoid creeper." Dip turned to his sister and glared at her. But he knew it was damn near pointless arguing with Gaz. So, he did what he always does. He growled something underneath his breath and continued walking to Skool.

_**At Skool…..**_

"So you see class, that is why all life is meaningless," Ms. Bitters hissed, as she paced back and forth in front of the classroom. "Eventually, the universe will _implode _in on itself. Despite what your parents or elders tell you, there is absolutely _NO_ great secret behind living. We're all _doomed…_"

Zim had stopped listening to her for quite some time. Everything Ms. Bitters talked about was unbelievably depressing, even by Irken standards… And that's really saying something. 'Well, I suppose I might as well start finding things I _like_ about this planet,' Zim thought, as he laid his head down on his desk. Thankfully, Ms. Bitters was too busy going on with another one of her "DOOMED" speeches to notice. 'If I'm stuck here for the rest of my life, I might as well try to enjoy it.'

Now that he wasn't obsessing about taking over Earth anymore, Zim found it somewhat of a relief to not have to be scheming 24/7. He looked around the classroom. No one ( Besides Dib ) still had any clue he was not human. So for the most part, he was safe with being around them. Even though Dib knew practically everything about him, no one ever believes him when he tries to expose it. Not even the adults thought he was a alien… Which is pretty sad, since their supposed to be smarter than their offspring. While Zim was lost in his thoughts, the door to the classroom opened.

"Hey look! Its Zim's girlfriend," one girl giggled, pointing towards the door. Now, while Zim _was_ in deep thought, when he heard, "Zim's girlfriend," he suddenly remembered the only other time someone made such a statement. He gulped, and swung his head around towards the door…

'… Oh shit…' Zim thought.

It was exactly what Zim feared the most. Standing in the doorway was, in fact, who Zim thought it was. It was a girl with short dark blue hair. She wore a large striped shirt, with the colors being light and dark purple. Along with her jet black pants, she wore a pair of knee-high leather black and purple boots. It was Tak, in her human holographic disguise.

Temporarily ignoring the outrageous accusation, Tak cracked a fake smile. "Hello again," she began in a sweet voice. "I'm back. So sorry I had to leave without saying anything. My "father" had to attend to important business, and I…" But while she was trying to sell the students a fake story, Ms. Bitters let out a low growl, interrupting her.

"No one cares Tak. Just find yourself a seat so we can continue."

Keeping a convincing grin, Tak nodded. "Yes, Ms. Bitters." She walked up to the girl sitting directly behind Zim, who had cried, "Hey look! Its Zim's girlfriend," when she arrived. "That wasn't a nice thing to say," she hissed, attracting the giggling girl's attention. "You should let me take your seat, and sit in the back of the class… _Now_…" A blue flash of light then streaked across Tak's eyes. Without saying a word, the girl silently stood up, walked to the back of the class and sat on the floor, since there were no open desks left. When Tak took the seat behind Zim, Ms. Bitters continued on with the lesson.

Zim started to get very uneasy. Even thought he wasn't looking at her, he could feel her scornful, hating, vengeful glare burning a hole in the back of his head. As he fiddled with his thumbs, he tilted his head to one side, so that he was at least making eye contact with her. "Tak," he simply stated, acknowledging her being there.

"Zim," she started back, with a venomous sting to the tone of her voice. Her loathing glare slowly turned into a wickedly evil grin when she saw her archenemy's worried expression. "It is so _nice _to see you after all this time," she continued, while Ms. Bitters proceeded to write something down on the chalkboard. "I hear that the Tallest finally broke the news to you." Zim's expression hardened, before he abruptly turned back to the front. Tak smirked. "I'll take that as a "Yes". Well, I tried to tell…"

"What the Irk do you want, Tak?" Zim hissed, quietly enough so that their depressing, homicidal teacher or fellow classmates wouldn't hear. "If you are here to rub that fact that I'm a Defective Invader and that I'll never be an Invader into my face, save it." Tak raised an eyebrow at the bold statement. She figured that Zim would've at least _DENIED_the humiliating truth before confirming it. "I'm already abandoned on this worthless floating dirtball of a planet. What more satisfaction could you possibly want?"

Tak smiled evilly. "Well, I have a couple of reasons, really," she replied. "Where do I begin? How about the fact that because of you, I missed the test that would've gained me the status of Invader? Or the fact that because of you, I was sent to planet Dirt to wait out the 70 years before I could retake the test? And there is the time you sent my drifting through space for _**SIX MONTHS**_."

Then, the bell rang, signaling that it was lunch. Everybody got up, except Zim. Before leaving, Tak leaned forward and placed her mouth right next to Zim's ear. "I told you I'd be back, Zim," she whispered. "And now that I am, you will finally suffer for all of the pain you caused me." A cold shiver shot down Zim's spine as Tak stood up from her chair and walked out of the classroom.

"Dude…" Zim turned to one side and saw Dib, who had heard what Tak had just whispered to him. "And I thought _**I**_ hated you."

Lunch was a nightmare for Zim. It wasn't the fact that Tak was out to get him. She had always been out to get him, even since they were mere Invader-trainees. But what made it different was that she was out for _revenge_. And since her presence was made known, and she preferred to strike when least expected, Zim was totally jumpy. At the lunch table, he sat alone, which was common for him, since not that many people liked him. But this time, he sat at a table where his back was against the fall, so no one could sneak up on him.

As he proceeded eating his lunch, he looked across the cafeteria to the table about 40ft away from him. There sat a group of girls, giggling about, well, you know, girly stuff. He sighed, but then his eyes snapped open when he spotted Tak sitting among them. She wasn't eating her lunch, she wasn't trying to make any fake friendships with any of the other girls… No. She was just staring right back at Zim, with a "Better Sleep with One Eye Open" glare plastered to her face.

'Oh great,' Zim thought sarcastically, as he took a drink from his soda. 'Now is have TAK, of all people to deal with! What's next?' When Tak refused to end her "death glare" Zim decided to try something out… He saw this in a move. As he proceeded to drink his soda, he pointed at Tak. When she caught the point, she arched her eyebrow, confused. Then, feeling brave, Zim performed the "Bring it on" taunt.

When Tak saw that, she smirked and took a drink from her soda. Then, the girl must've made another comment about her liking Zim or something, because after the girl said it, all of the other girls started giggling and making kissing sounds. Furious, Tak turned to the girl who made the comment. Zim heard Tak say something that sounded like, "Face in food," followed by the quick flash of blue light. A few seconds later, the girl who made the mystery comment nodded her head, right before slamming her face into her pile of food.

As all of the girls started laughing at the girl with her face in her food, Tak turned back to Zim. But when she looked back at his table, she discovered that he was no longer there. "Damnit," she whispered, as she finished the last of her lunch.

_**Meanwhile, Aboard the Massive…..**_

"HAHAHAHAHA!" The entire control room was filled with laughter. The tiny camera hidden in Tak's shirt collar had been activated ever since Tak took the form of the new girl at Skool. They had just finished watching how Tak handled the comment to girl said about her liking Zim. "Oh man, that was priceless," Tallest Purple said, holding his sides. "I love that we've added that feature to all holographic disguises!"

Tallest Red wiped the tears from his eyes, as he sat back up in his chair. "I knew giving Tak a tiny camera and sending her to Earth would be a hilarious plan," he stated. "And this is only the _humans_. I can't wait to see what she puts _**ZIM**_ through."

"Yeah! And I can't wait to see what he does in _retaliation_," Purple added. "Did you see Zim's little, "Bring it on," taunt? Its almost like the Irken Ultimate Fighter. I can't wait! SERVICE DRONE!" A short Irken ran up, carrying a empty platter. "Fetch your Tallest some donuts and nachos! We desire snacks while watching television!"

_**Back at Earth…..**_

After lunch, it was recess. But, in hopes of losing Tak, Zim decided to hide out in the Skool Library. He normally attended recess, even when Tak showed up the first time. So, in his mind, she might end up searching and re-searching the playground, thinking he was hiding from her _there_, and not in the library.

Sitting down in a beanbag in the back of the library, Zim let out a sigh of relief. 'Okay, calm yourself Zim,' he thought, trying to keep his mind clear. 'You dealt with Tak before, you can do it again… Right?' He reached for one of his textbooks, thinking he might as well use this time to get done with Ms. Bitters' depressing assignment. Read Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" and write about how it relates to a certain part of your life. As he proceeded to comprehend what Edger was writing about, he shivered. 'Wow,' he thought, 'this Edger-Human had some issues.'

"So, the "Almighty Zim" is cowering in the Skool library? Sad…" Zim recognized the voice. He turned to see Dib, eating an apple, with a smug look on his face. "What happened to "I am the mightiest Invader of them all" crap you're always talking about?"

Zim narrowed his eyes at the human boy. "I prefer to hold my battles for _after_ Skool, Dib… Less obvious that the two newest students are Irken In…" He paused before he could finish that sentence. He took a deep breath. "… That the two newest students are aliens." Zim turned his attention back to the poem, trying to show Dib that he wasn't interested in continuing the conversation… If only it were that easy, though.

"Well, you know what _**I**_ think?" He asked, tossing his apple core into a nearby trashcan. Zim kept his eyes glued to his textbook. "I think you are sca…"

"Zim does _**NOT**_ feel fear," Zim blurted out, before Dib could finish the sentence. The librarian turned to them and "SHHH-ed" them loudly. Zim glared at Dib who had backed up from surprise at the sudden statement. "I've just got a new set of priorities, is all," he whispered. "The more time I have _away_ from Tak, the more time I have to _prepare_ for whatever she might have planned to "get" me. Does your puny Earthling mind comprehend that?"

Sure, Zim _could've _just told Dib the truth. He _could've _told him that he was no longer an Invader, and was stranded on his planet. But he already tried telling him that. And he didn't believe him. And quite frankly, now that Zim thought about it, he'd rather Dib _didn't _know about his unfortunate predicament. Because Irken Invader or not, Zim _**HATED**_ Dib, almost more then he hated Tak. And if Dib found out that Zim was a "Defective" and technically not an Irken Invader, he would never let him forget about it. So, Zim will let Dib think whatever he wanted to.

Feeling like he was gonna get nowhere, Dib shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever man." He sighed, turning to leave. Zim let out another pleasant sigh when he saw open the door to leave. He thought he was off the hook… Until… "Hey Tak! He's in here!"

'DIB, YOU IRKEN SWAMP RAT EATING PIECE OF WASTE!' Zim screamed in his head.

Not even a millisecond later, and Tak pushed past Dib, who was making his way out. She saw the Irken Defective, with his entire face buried in his large text book. 'There you are,' she thought, as she neared the scared (Yes… Zim is scared out of his f***king mind ) Irken boy.

_**Back on the Massive….**_

On the Massive, the Tallest, and even all of the Irken workers were gathered in front of the large screen, enjoying what they were watching. Neither Red or Purple cared that the workers weren't doing their jobs… This was too good for _**ANYONE**_ to miss. "Wow, I've never seen Zim scared before," Purple mumbled, as he stuffed his face with nachos. "Its hilarious!"

Red chuckled as he passed around his bag of donuts to the Irken workers around him. ( Yes… When it comes to watching Zim be scared, tormented or tortured, the Tallest will occasionally feel more generous to their fellow "We Hate Zim" club members ) "Yeah," Red agreed. "Do you see him shaking? Man, he is terrified… Though, being in his position, I can't really blame him." They continued to watch with delight.

_**Back on Earth….**_

Tak had cornered Zim in the back of the library, and was rather enjoying herself. "Look at you Zim, she began, as she smirked and folded her arms across her chest. "You are nothing more than a spineless coward ever since you found out about your mission being a fake. You're taking the fun out of this." Zim narrowed his eyes at her. He stepped forward, and shoved her.

"I'm no coward, Tak," he spat. "I've just accepted what happened. If I'm no longer an Irken Invader, if my own "rulers" don't even acknowledge me _as _a Irken, why bother acting like one?"

Tak scowled at him. "You are a disgrace to the Irken race, you know that Zim?" Her words struck a nerve in Zim. "Here you are, running away from your problems like a scared little child, when not even 24 hours ago you were ready to take over the Earth. Don't you have even the slightest bit of pride in y…" She never finished that sentence.

All of a sudden, Zim reached out and grabbed Tak's throat with one hand, ultimately putting a halt to her ability to speak. She looked, and met one of the coldest, lifeless, most furious glares she had ever witnessed it her life. "Now you listen here Tak," Zim hissed, with hatred dripping off every word. "I had my pride. My pride was the thing I treasured most. I worked my _**ENTIRE**_ life for the Tallests' respect. But when I found out that my "mission" was nothing more then a joke to them… When I figured out that I wasn't even supposed to live to find another planet… When everything I've worked, sweated and bled for was for a joke, I lost everything. My livelihood, my honor, my respect as a Irken, and most importantly, my _pride_."

Zim threw Tak to the ground, who immediately started gasping for air. Oddly enough, the librarian was nowhere to be seen. Tak coughed violently. 'H-how could he be so strong..?' She thought, massaging her sore windpipe.

"Tak," he continued, getting the Irken girl to look up in anger, "if you are still interested in revenge for ruining your chances in becoming an Invader and sending you hurtling into space for six months, then I'm not gonna stop you." He picked up his books, and was ready to leave. "But just remember this: You know all of my weaknesses, and I know all of yours." Then, Zim left the library.

Standing alone, Tak continued to massage her sore throat. She, personally, was surprised at what just happened. She had _never_ seen Zim get as angry as he did just now. The strength, the anger, the conviction of it all. It was uncharacteristic of the annoying, oblivious, short-minded, over confident Zim she trained with back on Irk. And quite frankly… she rather _LIKED_ it.

'Well, well, well,' she thought, as she made her way out of the library. 'Looks like he might put up a reasonably good fight after all…'

_**To Be Continued….**_

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA! That was f***ing awesome, wasn't it? Tak has arrived to make Zim's life living hell. But little does she know, because of what the Tallest did to him, Zim is a changed Irken. And as you can plainly see, Tak thinks this is some sort of improvement. How will all of this play out in the long run? Well, that's for _**ME**_ to know, and _**YOU**_ to find out! HAHAHAHA! I will be bringing up the Tallest and the Massive staff off and on, depending on the situations I put Zim and Tak in. so, whatcha think? It isn't going too fast for anyone, is it? I hope not, because I want this to be a good Invader Zim ZATR story. Anyway, please leave plenty of reviews if you enjoyed the chapter. And if you encounter and spelling or grammar errors, please inform me so that I can correct them immediately. Again, I appreciate all your input, and look forward to what you all have to say about this chapter. Hope to hear from y'all soon. PEACE! Mr. Alaska out!


	4. First Day of Hell

Rating: T

Main Pairing: Zim/Tak

Author's Notes: Hello again, my loyal readers, and fellow Invader Zim fans. It's Mr. Alaska again, with yet ANOTHER update! HAHAHAHA! It's _**madness**_! One right after the other… You all know I am spoiling you, right? Most authors makes their readers _**wait**_ for an update for there EPIC stories. But no… I go beyond the call of duty, and give you grade "A" material day after day. But hey, that's just how I roll, y'all. XD Anyways, in the last chapter, you all witnessed the return of Tak, president of the "We Hate Zim" fan club. She has come to torture, and eventually kill Zim… But she was in for a big surprise. Zim is not the Zim she knew. He is willing to do life and death battle with her… And she finds that awesome. How will all of it play out in the end? What kind of things does Tak has in mind for Zim? And more importantly, how will Zim retaliate? All will be answered soon. So sit back, relax, get some triple cheesy nachos, and enjoy the epic fourth installment of your favorite ZATR story. PEACE!

Chapter 4: First Day of Hell

Aboard the Massive, it was awkwardly silent. The Tallest, along with the entire working staff, had just witnessed Zim telling Tak off. Needless to say, they all were as shocked as Tak was. Red turned to Purple, with his mouth open wide. "W-wow… That was intense," he began. "I've never seen Zim _**that **_angry before."

Purple, who's expression was similar to Red's, nodded his head. "I know," he agreed. "And not only that, he was able to pick Tak up with one hand and _**THROW**_ her! Where the fuck did that come from?" Everyone was both somewhat scared of what happened, and somewhat pleasantly surprised. But after it settled in, Red turned to Purple with a sly grin.

"You were right… This _**is **_going to be fun."

_**Meanwhile, Back at Earth…..**_

'I bet the Tallest sent her here just to mess with me,' Zim thought, as he made his way down the street to his house. Occasionally, Zim would skip the last couple of hours of Skool. Like Ms. Bitters said: No one cares if you're there or not. 'What more do they want from me? They already stripped me of my rank, my dignity, and my life! Now they sent my most hated rival here to torture me? Why?' He screamed in his head, as he neared the gate to his front yard. 'Haven't they done enough to me? I'm already forced to stay on this planet! Why can't they just leave it at that?'

He opened the door, where he saw Gir, sitting on the couch watching the Scary Monkey Show again. A shiver would always go down Zim's spine whenever he would even glance at the disturbing primate. When he saw his master walk in, Gir turned to him with a wide smile. "Someone's ditching again," he cried, shaking his finger at Zim. "You're bad, master."

Zim sighed and shook his head. "Gir, we have bigger problems then me missing Skool," he answered, throwing his books on the couch beside Gir. "It seems that Tak has returned for revenge," he continued, as he removed his wig and lenses. Gir took a blank expression. "Do you realize what this means, Gir?"

With a goofy grin on his face, Gir nodded. "I sure do, master," he answered, jumping up to his feet. "That means _MIMI_ is here as well! Whoopee!" Gir then started hugging himself and jumping up and down excitedly. "Now she can watch the Scary Monkey Show with me, and I can teach her the Doom song, and we can have tacos, and…" Gir proceeded to list a bunch of things he and Tak's SIR unit could do together. "Then we can go skipping through a field of flowers while we…"

"Gir," Zim growled, interrupting in crazy robotic servant. "If anything, you are to _**STAY AWAY**_ from Tak's SIR unit." Gir's once happy expression turned into sad and depressed in an instant. When he started whining, Zim continued. "Gir, Tak and _Mimi _are here to_** DESTROY**_ us. They aren't here to play with you. I bet they are planning something right now." When Gir's sad look didn't go away, Zim groaned, frustrated. "Listen, I know that you _**like**_ Mimi," Zim said, emphasizing the word like, "but don't you see that she is the enemy? She wants us both dead. So I _order_ you to stay away from Mimi at all costs. Do you understand?"

Gir didn't answer with words. Instead, he let out a loud sniff, as if he was about to start crying. Then, looking down, he nodded his head, right before walking into the kitchen. 'Damn it Gir,' Zim thought, massaging his temples, 'please don't start crying… You know I hate it when you cry…' He waited, wondering if he was ever going to start. To Zim's relief, Gir's sad cries never came. "Maybe I'll take him out for tacos afterwards," he sighed to himself. "That _**ALWAYS**_ cheers him up."

When he was about to sit down on the couch to start his homework, there was a knock at the door. Irritated, he got up without even bothering to put on his disguise. "Leave me alone, Dib! I'm in no mood for your paranoia," he shouted, marching to the door. When he opened it however, there stood Tak and Mimi, with Tak in her human disguise and Mimi in her black cat disguise. When Zim saw it was Tak, he narrowed his eyes. "Same goes to you… Leave me alone."

He went to slam the door, but Tak put her hand out and stopped it halfway. "You should know by just _telling_ me to leave won't work, Zim," she said, in a sly hiss. And before Zim could even try to force the door close, Mimi dashed in, and stood behind Zim with glowing red eyes. "Now let me in before I have Mimi _**make**_ you let me in." Zim saw what kind of predicament he was in, and sighed. He stepped back, ultimately allowing Tak entrance. But when he saw Tak's "I'm Smarter Than You" look, he smirked and took a deep breath. "GIR! MIMI IS HERE TO SEE YOU!"

Now out of their disguises, Tak and Mimi raised a eyebrow. Then… "Mimi! I knew you'd come back!" Out of nowhere, Gir came flying in and tackled the unsuspecting SIR unit. Wrapping his arms around Mimi, he continued talking, obviously overjoyed she was there. "I've missed you _**SOOOOOOOO **_much! But I knew you'd come back to me! Now we can spend all the time in the world together!" Mimi only stared at the crazy robot with a "WTF" expression, not knowing what to do.

_**Back at the Massive…**_

"Awwwww… Isn't that cute?" Purple asked, as he, Red, and all of the other workers witnessed Gir's public display of affection for Mimi. "I tell ya, there is nothing better then when two SIR units find love… Don't you agree Red?"

Red, who was swallowing a donut shook his head. "No… I know of something better then that," he replied, cracking an evil smile. "There nothing better then _**BLOWING UP**_ two SIR units that had just found love." Purple got what Red meant, and chuckled.

"Oh yeah. There is always that," Purpled agreed. "But it is going to be a shame to get rid of Gir. He's been tormenting Zim from what I heard about him." Red snorted with laughter.

"Aw well. Too bad. So sad." They all then proceeded to watch their new favorite "show".

_**Back on Earth….**_

Tak looked at Mimi and Gir before looking back at Zim, who now had the "I'm Smarter Than You" look plastered on his face. She rolled her eyes. "Get that smug look off your face, Zim," she hissed, closing the door behind her. "I'm here to give you a small warning about what is to come. So you can call off your SIR."

Zim sighed and shook his head. "I couldn't if I wanted to," he replied, hunching his shoulders. Tak looked at him, confused. "Seems like Gir is "head over heels" for your SIR, as the humans say." Since Tak hadn't been on Earth as long as Zim had, she didn't know what the expression meant. When she continued to give Zim a blank expression, he groaned. "I mean Gir _**LIKES**_ Mimi."

While the idea disgusted Tak, she decided to stay on subject. "Whatever… Anyway, I'm here to warn you about why I'm here." When Zim showed no signs of adding anything, Tak proceeded. "You see, after six months of drifting aimlessly through space, I was fortunate enough to have drifted into the path of the Massive. The Tallest saved me, and gave me an official Invader mission. They…" Before Tak could finish, Zim jumped in.

"They assigned you to come here to make me miserable, right?" He asked. Tak looked at him, shocked that he managed to guess the real reason she was here. He started pacing, almost like he was about to give her a lecture. "I have to admit that I am quite surprised the Tallest came up with this plan," he continued, with his hands behind his back. "Seeing as you and I are mortal enemies, you would be the ideal candidate for this mission. And if I know you well enough, you didn't hesitate accepting it… Am I right so far?"

Zim felt nice after saying that. He felt that he had shown Tak up by figuring out her reasons for being back on Earth. He figured that what he said would've been a major blow to her pride… But he was wrong…

Without warning, Tak started laughing hysterically. As she laughed, Zim couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in confusion. This was not the expression he was going for. When she got control of herself, she looked Zim straight in the face. "It's about damn time Zim." Tak's statement made absolutely no sense to Zim. So she explained. "You are _**finally**_ acting like an actual Irken. Standing up to me, throwing me around, being _**smart**_ for once… And I was starting to think you'd be a spineless coward who wouldn't put up a fight… Nice to see I was wrong."

Zim narrowed his eyes as Tak continued. "Yes. You guessed right, Zim. This whole thing was a plan concocted by the Tallest. They thought I was suited perfectly for this type of mission, since I'm twice as aggressive as any Irken male. I am assigned to make your life as miserable as possible," she then walked up, so that her face were mere centimeters from Zim's, "and I intend to follow through with it."

Zim didn't say anything. He just kept up his glare towards Tak. She smirked, and turned to Mimi, who was struggling to get free from Gir's tight hug. "Mimi! We're leaving!" Suddenly, Mimi's eyes started glowing red again. With a sudden burst of strength, she broke the grip Gir had on her, and sent him flying into the wall. When Mimi was by her side again, Tak turned to leave. Before opening the door to leave, she activated her human hologram disguise and turned to Zim. "The Tallest also granted me permission to _**kill**_ you after I got tired of torturing you… Just thought I should let you know that…"

Zim smirked. "Thanks… But I'll be ready for anything and everything you throw at me. So bring it on." Tak smiled wickedly before leaving, with Mimi following close behind.

"Bye Mimi! I'll be here if you wanna watch the Scary Monkey Show," Gir shouted, waving goodbye to the SIR unit excitedly. Mimi merely turned to shoot Gir a dark look, before pouncing off to catch up with Tak. Zim slammed the door shut, let out a loud sigh, and turned to Gir with a stern look. "I think she likes me, master," Gir stated, obliviously.

"Gir, you're a moron," Zim growled, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "And I don't just mean you're a regular moron. You make other morons look intelligent." Gir frowned at his master's harsh words, but he wasn't done yet. "Now I mean it, _**stay away from Mimi…**_" When Gir started to get watery-eyed, Zim added, "I'll get you some tacos if you don't cry."

Gir smiled. "YAY! I LOVE TACOS!"

_**The Next Morning…**_

Sitting in class, Zim couldn't help but feel jumpy. He figured that Tak would start trying to ruin his life today if she was going to start at all. She was late for some reason, because the bell range a few minutes earlier. He looked around, and concluded she wasn't just sitting at a different desk. He let out a sigh of relief, as Ms. Bitters was about to start the day's lesson. But before she could get a word in, Tak walked in. Zim and Tak looked at each other, locked in a battle of glares.

"Tak," Ms. Bitters huffed, "why are you late?"

Tak turned to her with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "You don't care," she answered smoothly. Ms. Bitters matched Tak's smug smirk.

"You're absolutely right… Now take your seat before I send you to the office anyway." Tak nodded, and walked pass Zim to get to her seat. When she sat down, Ms. Bitters continued. "Now, before Ms. Tak interrupted me, I was going to tell you that I will be taking last night's homework assignment now. You may come up and hand them in, that is, if you did it. If by whatever reason you _didn't_ do it… Well, you'll see," she concluded, not bothering to say what she was gonna say.

So, all of the students rifled through their backpacks for last night's assignment. Zim stayed up a good majority of the night before to do it, so he thought he had nothing to worry about. But as he felt through his PAK, he was horrified to discover it was gone. 'What? Where could it be?' He howled in his head, double checking where he looked. 'I put it in here this morning! I _**know**_ I did!'

Then he heard an all too familiar giggle. He watched Tak walk pass him, and handed a paper to Ms. Bitters. But Zim took a good glance at the title of the paper, and saw that it was _**HIS**_ paper. Before he could start, Ms. Bitters noticed he was the only one not handing anything in. "Where is your paper, Zim? You did do it, _didn't you_?"

Zim narrowed his eyes at Tak, who was standing in the front of the class with her tongue stuck out at him. "I seem to have left it at home," Zim growled, not bothering to take his intense glare off Tak. He didn't want to make a scene, and making it look like he was trying to get the new kid in trouble. "I can hand it into tomorrow if you…"

"Did I say it was due tomorrow, _Zim_?" Ms. Bitters asked, with a scowl on her face and her arms folded across her chest. Still not breaking his scowl from Tak, he stiffly shook his head. "I didn't think so. And while I _will_ accept it tomorrow, I want you to come up to the front of the class and recite Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" in front of your fellow classmates… Now."

'… Oh… It is _**SO**_ on, Tak,' Zim thought, as he and Tak passed each other on the way to the front of the class. As he took the oversized textbook from Ms. Bitters, he heard nearly all of his classmates snickering and giggling. Even though the poem itself is completely bleak and depressing, the children were laughing at Zim, for he was being humiliated by the teacher. You see, for some reason, Zim had a problem reading anything aloud. Tak knew that from when they were training together. So she sat back, and prepared to enjoy the show.

Hesitantly, Zim cleared his throat, and began. "Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven"…"

_**Back on the Massive…**_

As they watched Zim try to recite Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" Red snickered. "Wow… He sucks at speaking in front of people, doesn't he?" He asked, as he nudged Purple in the shoulder. "Look at him. I mean, he's shaking like a leaf… He looks like he's about to cry!"

As Red started laughing uncontrollably, Purple's reaction to the video-feed as completely different. Because he was listening to the poem more then he was listening to Zim, himself. A shiver ran through Purple's body. "… Damn… What is wrong with this human?" He asked. "So _depressing_, so _bleak_, so _sad_… And all because of some human named Lenore? And what's with the talking winged creature?"

_**Back on Earth…**_

"You may sit back down, Zim," Ms. Bitter hissed, as Zim finished up reading the poem. "And just so you know, that was a _**horrible**_ attempt at reading one of my personal favorite poems… See to it that your speaking skills improve." Zim didn't look at his teacher as he walked back to his seat. He didn't even respond to her remark about his speaking skills. He was too focused on how he was going to get Tak back for this.

When he sat down in his seat, he felt that there was something on his chair. He reached under, and saw that it was a folded up piece of paper. Curious, he opened it up. It read:

_This is just the beginning, Zim. It'll just start getting worse and worse, until it escalates to the point where you are liable to get hurt… __**Badly**__… So don't underestimate me. I look forward to making your already worthless life miserable for you. _

_-Tak_

_PS… Please don't make it __**TOO**_ _easy for me…_

'Oh don't worry Tak,' Zim thought, crumbling up the note and tossing it into the wastebasket next to the door. 'If you want to play it like that, then I will happily oblige you.' The rest of the class period went by rather slowly. Ms. Bitters was teaching stuff from Ancient Rome, but Zim wasn't listening to a single word of it. There was now only one thing on his mind. _**REVENGE!**_

Luckily for him, he already had something planned for Tak. He knew something about her that no one else knows about. And he silently snickered with evil delight at what he thought up. But, it would have to wait for now. So he suffered through the rest of the period, until the bell range, signaling lunch. And as he left, he activated his watch's communicator feature. "Gir," he whispered, "I have a job for you that if done correctly, means tacos for dinner for the next two nights…"

_**Lunch…**_

Zim walked into the lunchroom, scanning for Tak. She was where she was yesterday, sitting with a group of giggling girls. He walked across the cafeteria, not taking his eyes off the other Irken imposter. He went to the table he sat at yesterday, took a deep breath, and sat down…

_**SNAP!**_

All of a sudden, the chair in which he was sitting in broke underneath his weight. Zim let out a surprised yelp as he toppled to the ground. The sound of the chair breaking was loud enough so the everyone in the cafeteria could hear it. When they saw Zim laying on the ground next to a broken chair, everyone started laughing and pointing at the poor Irken boy. 'Tak…' Zim thought, as he pulled himself up. As the laughter slowly faded away, Zim looked at the chair he was sitting in. the legs were _**SAWED **_through halfway, which caused them to break when he sat down on it.

Zim looked at the table of giggling girls, and spotted Tak, laughing along with them. '… Clever,' Zim thought. 'Making "friends" who might be interested in assisting you, huh?' Zim took the chair next to the broken one, after making sure it was safe to sit in. 'But it's okay, because Gir can be _**very**_ helpful when I need him to be.'

Recess wasn't that much better. While Zim was hanging on the monkey-bars, a soccer ( Presumably kicked by Tak ) flew in and nailed him right in the face, leaving a nasty red mark on half of his face. To make matters worse, he fell into a puddle of water, ultimately scolding his alien skin. And like in the cafeteria, his pain and dismay was met with cruel laughter. He turned around in the direction of the kicked soccer ball. Across the playground, he spotted Tak, once again, talking with the other girls. Listening hard, he could hear the girls _complimenting _Tak on her aim. He heard, "awesome shot," and, "nice aim," and, "bet that hurt him," being giggled amongst them. But Zim's anger dissipated when he heard the sound he had been waiting to hear.

_**RING!**_

Everyone groaned, and started to go inside. When no one was around, Zim activated his communicator. "Gir, is everything set up?"

"Yes master! That means _**TACOS**_ tonight, right?" Gir replied.

Zim chuckled. "Yes Gir. Tacos tonight."

_**Meanwhile, Back on the Massive…**_

"HAHAHAHAHA! Did you see that kick?" Red asked, as he was holding his sides from laughing so much. "It was dead on!"

Purple, who was rolling on the floor laughing, sat up. "Yeah," he replied, wiping the tears from out his eyes. "Lets see that again." One of the men operating the many computers nodded his head, and replayed the scene where Zim got nailed in the face with the soccer ball. After seeing it again, Red and Purple laughed some more.

"HAHAHA! It's better the second time," Red cried. "Again! Show it again!"

_**Back on Earth…**_

Everybody was in class, with Ms. Bitters writing stuff down on the chalkboard. Some students were still snickering and giggling about all the "bad luck" Zim seemed to be having that day. But Zim didn't let it get to him. He knew what _**he**_ had planned for Tak would be worth seeing after all he went through today. Tak was being complimented by some of her new friends when Ms. Bitters turned back around. "Okay class, get you textbooks out so that we can read more meaningless history."

This was it, Zim thought. He saw Tak put her textbook in her desk before leaving for lunch. But he didn't look behind, just in case him turning around suddenly might give something away. And sure enough…

_**EEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKK!**_

Tak let out a terrified scream before leaping out of her chair. Everyone was startled by the sudden outburst besides Zim, who was satisfied that his plan went through without a hitch. Everyone turned to Tak, who was panting from fear. Curious, everyone gathered around her desk, and saw what cause Tak to scream.

Laying inside her desk was a big, fuzzy, realistic looking neon green spider. The eyes of the spider were a scary combination of black and red. Ms. Bitters pushed through some kids, saw the spider, and scuffed. "Really Tak? This obviously _**FAKE**_ spider scared you?" The teacher asked, picking up the toy spider by a couple of it's legs. "See? Look at the colors. No spider on Earth have these colors… Though, besides the colors, it _does_ look lifelike… I'm gonna keep this. Take your seat Tak so we can get started." As Ms. Bitters slinked back to her desk, Tak glared at Zim.

Zim was doing everything in his power not to burst out laughing. You see, the reason why the spider had such weird colors was because Ms. Bitters was right. There was no spider on _**EARTH**_ that had those colors. However, on Irk, the "fake spider" bore an amazing resemblance to the Irken Poisonous Swamp Spider. While training in the swamps of Irk, Zim saw Tak freak out when she saw one on a tree. That's where he learned she was terrified of them.

Tak growled, but went to get her textbook. Inside, however, was also a note, laying onto of her textbook. She narrowed her eyes, and opened it. It read:

_Yes… I agree with you, Tak. This __**IS**__ the beginning. And yes, I won't make it easy for you. I told you that I also knew your weaknesses, didn't I? And yeah, I still remember you scream like a baby whenever you see an Irken Poisonous Swamp Spider. It was quite funny, you know? And don't forget that I know __**A LOT**__ more. This is the time to __**NOT**__ underestimate me, Tak. Because if you're here to make me miserable, you can expect the same. And like I said before… __**BRING IT ON! **_

_-Zim_

_PS… Hahahahahahahahahaha!_

Furious, Tak crumbled up the note and threw it in the wastebasket, ignoring the quiet laughter from her fellow students. She glared at her archenemy, who was still acting innocent. 'You just made your death wish, Zim…'

_**Back on the Massive…**_

The control room was literally filled with laughter. Men who were at the computers were on the floor laughing hysterically. Service drones were gasping for air from laughing too much. And the Tallest were holding each other up, or all they'd fall to the floor laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That was hilarious," Red gasped, not bothering to wipe the tears scolding his face. "That has to be the _**FUNNIEST**_ thing I have ever seen!"

Purple, who was also gasping for breath, nodded his head. "Red, you are a freaking genius! Sending Tak to Earth has to be one of the best ideas you have ever had!"

_**To Be Continued…..**_

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *GASP* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! XD That was so funny, was it not? HAHA! Thank you Gir! Thank you very much! I hope you all enjoyed the first of many of the prank wars Zim and Tak will have. Do you all like where I'm going with this? If anyone have any prank ideas, please tell me through PMs. I hope you all forgive me if you see any spelling or grammar mistakes. If you do, please tell me so that I can correct them. Don't forget to leave plenty of reviews, telling me what you think of it. I hope to hear from y'all very soon. Mr. Alaska out. PEACE!


	5. This is Where it Ends

Rating: T

Mani Pairing: Zim/Tak

Author's Notes: HOLA! It's Mr. Alaska again… But who were you expect? Ha! I'm back with another update to what I hope will be an amazing ZATR story. I've been told that a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes were spotted in my last update. For that, I apologize. It was late last night and I was kinda rushing through my corrections. I'll try better on this chapter. Anyways, you just witnessed the first official Zim vs. Tak Prank Smack Down! YEAH! And while Tak _was_ in the lead, Zim's Irken Poisonous Swamp Spider gag made them about even in score. But I'll let you decide who actually won. I'm gonna speed things up a little bit in this chapter… But in a way that will turn the whole tide of the story. ( Laughs Evilly ) Hope you all can find this chapter as amusing as the previous ones. And I hope to hear from y'all soon with a review. PEACE!

Chapter 5: This is Where it Ends

"Okay Gir, let's go over the plans again," Zim said, as he and Gir stood around some blueprints of Zim's newest plan to humiliate Tak. It had been an entire week of their "Prank War" and quite frankly, Zim was at his wit's end. It had been nothing but back and forth between him and his arch nemesis. It went from a couple of small pranks a day… To numerous small pranks being pulled, followed up by one _HUGE_ prank. And now, Zim was ready to put another plan into action. "When Tak opens her desk, there were be a little mechanism that will catapult glue and feathers into Tak's face," he continued, letting out a evil chuckle while Gir stared blankly at him. "It will be magnificent! And when she is blinded, I'll "help" her by splashing water on her, getting the glue and feathers off, while burning her to no end! It's brilliant!"

As Zim went off on a evil rant about how he despises Tak, Gir continued to stare at him, almost as if there wasn't a thought in his robot mind. Finally, Gir spoke. "Master, why don't you just _kiss_ the mean girl?" The question, or rather the word "kiss" caused Zim to stop dead in his tracks. He turned to Gir with a disgusted expression. "Well, if you kiss her, wouldn't she stop being mean to us?" Gir asked, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, kissing makes anything better, right?"

A shiver ravaged through Zim's body at the image of him doing such a thing. "Gir, that is an _**absurd **_suggestion," Zim spat. "The very idea of me _kissing_ that crazy Irken makes my skin crawl and stomach constrict! How could you even suggest such a ludicrous idea?" Gir looked at his appalled master, and hunched his shoulders.

"I don't know," he answered simply. Then, out of no where, Gir freaked. "OH NO! I'M MISSING THE SCARY MONKEY SHOW!" And in the blink of an eye, Gir ran to the elevator and proceeded to press the "Top Floor" button numerous times. Watching this, Zim could only groan in annoyance as the elevator doors slid close.

"I'm gonna fix you one of these days," he sighed, turning back to his blueprints.

_**Meanwhile, Back Aboard the Massive…**_

It was a slow day for everyone on the control room. It seems that after a whole week of watching Zim and Tak pull prank after prank on one another, the Tallest were getting bored. Red made this clear. "Man, I'm bored," he yawned, stretching out in his floating chair.

"I know what you mean," Purple agreed, nodding his head up and down. "While seeing Zim and Tak destroy each other through pranks _was_ amusing, it's starting to get old." Red nodded. "I mean, sure, it still makes me chuckle, but it's not as hilarious as it used to be."

They had a good reason for being bored. Within the week of nonstop pranking, they've seen countless pranks be pulled. Exploding pens, water balloons, fake vomit, itching powder, superglue on the seats, you name it. And while the Tallest found them humorous, the whole "Prank War" was getting old and stale. The two were silent for a few seconds. Then they remembered what they had planned for when they _did_ get bored of watching. Red smiled wickedly.

"I guess I'll give Tak a little call, then…"

_**Meanwhile, at Tak's Secret Base…**_

In contrast to Zim's base, which was hidden in a heavy populated city, Tak's base was on the outskirts of town. It was nearly the same at Zim's house, except her house was dark green, which worked as somewhat as camouflage, since it was hidden in the forest outside of town.

Down in the lowest level of the humongous base, Tak was doing _exactly_ what Zim was doing… Going over her new elaborate plan to humiliate Zim with Mimi. "And when he opens his desk, jet black ink will fly out and blind him," Tak cackled, grinning devilishly at her plan. "Then I'll "help" him by splashing him with water, getting the ink off, _AND_ burning him painfully! It's brilliant!" Tak then began laughing hysterically. Mimi just imitated Tak's laughing motions, since she wasn't built with a voice like Gir or other SIR units.

When Tak was about to go over it again with Mimi, her large computer screen turned on. _"You have a incoming transmission from the Massive,"_ Tak's computer informed. _"Patching them through."_

When the transmission was connected, Tallest Red and Tallest Purple were displayed. Tak saluted her leaders. "Hello Tak… It's nice to see you again," Red began, smiling devilishly. "I can't begin to tell you how much we here on the Massive have enjoyed watching you torment Zim." Tak smiled, feeling proud about being complimented by the Tallest. "But we also enjoyed watching what Zim had in store for _you_, as well," he added. Tak looked away and huffed, with her pride turning into embarrassment.

"I admit," she replied, calmly, "I was quite impressed with what he managed to think up… But that is _**nothing**_ compared to what I've just constructed with Mimi." She was about to tell them her plan, when Purple chuckled and started waving his hands.

"While we're sure what you have planned for Zim is truly humiliating," he assured, "we contacted you because we needed to tell you something." Curious, Tak pulled up a chair and sat down. Purple cleared his throat. "You see, it seems that after the past week, we've grown somewhat _tired_ of watching you and Zim prank one another." Tak's eyes snapped open, realizing what that meant.

Red snickered. "While we still find some entertainment in it, we're afraid it just isn't _as_ entertaining anymore." A evil smirk stretched across Tak's face. "You know what that means, don't you?" He asked. "That means you are allowed to _dispose _of our mutual pain in the neck. Do you understand Tak?"

This was the day Tak had been waiting for. Now she will get rid of Zim, _permanently_. She stood up straight and saluted the Tallest, with her maniacal grin still plastered to her face. "I understand perfectly, my Tallest."

"Oh! And don't forget to have you camera turned on," Purple added. "If you do kill Zim, we want to record it for centuries to come… Oh, and Tak," he continued, just as Tak was going to cut the transmission. She looked up. "Don't forget to make him _suffer_…" That's when the Tallest cut the transmission.

_**Back at the Massive…**_

Red stood up and cleared his throat loudly. Everyone who was working on the computers stopped what they were doing and turned. "My fellow proud Irkens," he announced loudly, "we have spectacular news for you all! In celebration of Zim's horrible and impending demise, you all will receive they rest on the day off!" After hearing this, the workers let out a thunderous cheer of joy. "I say "impending" because we have a backup plan incase Tak proves unsuccessful. Thanks in part of out technicians, there is a small explosive device implanted inside Tak's SIR unit. And in case she is unable to best Zim, we will detonate it, killing both instantly!" Everyone proceeded to cheer uncontrollably. This was something the everyone on the Massive has been waiting for. There was always talk about it, but no one knew if it was true or when it would if it was.

"This is going to be the best think ever in Irken history," Purple said, as he and Red sat down in their floating chairs. "I wonder if you should broadcast it on Irken Public Television after it is all over… We might make some major monies." Red smiled at the idea.

_**Back on Earth….**_

"He's up to something, I tell ya," Dib hissed, as he and his sister Gaz were eating at Bloaty's. Gaz was eating pizza, trying her best to ignore her paranoid older brother. "I bet this whole prank business with Tak is just a distraction… That's it! He and Tak are working together!" Dib shouted, standing up in his seat. For some reason, everyone else in the restaurant couldn't care less about what he was shouting out. "It's a genius plan, I admit. But he didn't count on Dib Membrane, did he?"

He looked to his sister. She looked at him with a bored expression, and rolled her eyes. "Maybe," she started sarcastically, "or maybe this is some sort of weird alien courtship ritual or something… He hasn't tried taking over the Earth in over two weeks. He usually tries at least once a week, at the least." When Dib was going to try and give a explanation for that, she growled. "Shut up Dib… Dad said that while he's gone on business you are to take me to Bloaty's _**WITHOUT**_ acting like the paranoid freak you are. So shut up and eat your pizza."

_**With Zim….**_

"Gir, slow down or you'll choke again," Zim sighed, as he and Gir sat on the park bench. Since Gir had been helping him out with his pranks, Zim kept rewarding him with treats. From buying the Crazy Monkey Show on DVD for him, to countless nights of tacos, burritos, nachos, or anything Gir could think of for dinner. Gir was inhaling taco after taco. "The last time you ate too fast and nearly destroyed your inner workings. The smell alone if horrible enough without having to shovel it out of your chest."

Gir turned to his master, who was finishing off on his drink. "But master, I _**LOOOVE **_tacos! I can't help it," he said, defending himself. "They are so delicious! So chunky! So yummy! So taco-y!" Gir then continued to throw in taco after taco into his mouth, and Zim laid down on the bench.

This was time for him to relax. Tak wasn't around, no homework, no Dib stalking him from bushes. Now he could actually try and find the things he liked about Earth, since it was his official home now. He looked at the sky. Sun was bright, not a cloud in the sky, bird were singing… These were things Irkens were trained to _hate_. They were trained to conquer and destroy planets that would resemble this. But now that he wasn't an Invader, Zim saw it through new eyes. He didn't mind the weather Earth had. On Irk, it was always nighttime. The only lights were from their tall buildings, their city life, their VOOT Cruiser training, and other unnatural stuff. Here, everything was natural. Sure, the only light at night were from the buildings and stuff… But that was only at night. Which was a little less then half the day. In the two weeks that Zim has been on Earth as a "Defective" Invader, he started to see things differently. And to be quite honest, he didn't really mind the changes in his demeanor… No one else seemed to care about the new and improved Zim, but he didn't care much about them, anyway.

Zim let out a pleasant sigh as he laid on the bench, letting the light from the sun warm him. 'I can get used to this,' he thought, putting his arms behind his head. 'I guess being banished here on Earth wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Sure, it's not perfect. But now I don't have to risk my life trying to take it over… Maybe being a 'Defective' has it's benefits…' But his happy thoughts were sadly cut short by a familiar voice.

"Are you enjoying your last peaceful thoughts, Zim?" His eyes popped open when he heard Tak's voice. He sat up and saw her standing beside the bench, with Mimi down by her legs. They were both in their disguises, as suspected. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Tak, if you have some stupid prank planned for me, save it for Skool," Zim growled.

But his frustration turned into uneasy confusion when Tak started snickering. "You wish it was a prank Zim," she said, walking up closer to the bench. "I just got done having another chat with the Tallest… They had _wonderful_ news to tell me about my mission." Zim looked at her intently, feeling he knew what the news was. "It appears that the Tallest are tired of me and your pulling pranks on one another. They say it's, "gotten old and stale," so they requested that _we_ put on a show for them…" Now he knew what she was getting at. "They've given me mission to kill you Zim for their amusement. Thanks to this nifty little camera on my shirt collar, they are able to watch me as I strangle the life out of you."

Zim looked at the emblem on her collar. "So they've been watching us the whole time through _that_?" He asked, pointing at the little camera. Tak nodded. "Okay, cool…" Then without warning, Zim flipped the camera the bird. "Fuck you, my _Almighty _Tallest."

_**Back on the Massive….**_

"WHY YOU LITTLE SCUM SUCKING DEFECTIVE MOTHER FUCKER!" Both Red and Purple yelled simultaneously.

_**Back on Earth….**_

"So the Tallest want to record what could be my death, do they?" With a evil smirk, Tak nodded again. "And they believe _**YOU**_ are the one who will kill me?" Now scowling at his remark, Tak nodded again. At this, Zim started laughing. "You would've made an excellent Invader, Tak," Zim stated, flattering Tak to some small degree. "You deserved to be an Invader. You would've probably been one of the best. But there is a saying here on Earth. Do you want to hear it?" Rolling her eyes, Tak played along and nodded her head. "The saying goes, "The most dangerous kind of men are the men who have nothing to lose by dying." I'd say I fall under that category, wouldn't you say?"

Despite what Zim was suspecting from Tak, the Irken girl smiled and nodded her head. "I suppose you're right Zim. And to be quite honest, I have some things to say to you, Irken to Irken." Zim decided to stand up, just as Tak continued. "Despite all of the suffering you've put me through, which I _WILL_ get revenge for, I have to admit that you aren't as bad of Invader as the Tallest make you out to be." Zim couldn't help but feel a little honored to hear Tak say that. She continued. "You are stubborn, which means you never gave up on anything. I admire that kind of quality in a Irken Invader… But I've been given direct orders from the Tallest to kill you. And I don't intend to fail a mission that will grant me the status I truly deserved after all these years."

The two shared a mutual gaze before Zim sighed. "Very well. Where should this battle to the death be held?"

Tak thought about it. "Well, if you're concerned about the humans discovering aliens in their city, I suggest we have our battle on the outskirts of town. No humans are there, and aren't likely going to be able to see or hear us, since it's so out of the way." Zim took a long time to think about it, sighed, and nodded his head.

"sounds good…" He paused again. "If this truly is to the death, we could return to our bases and prepare. If the Tallest wants a show, then I wouldn't won't do _disappoint_." He hissed the last word at Tak's camera. Then he looked back at Tak. "Contact me in one hour when you've found the ideal fighting ground. Here's my communicator access code." He pulled a pencil and a piece of paper out, and wrote down a series of numbers. Tak accepted it, and nodded her head.

"I'll see you in one hour. Come, Mimi." With that, Tak and Mimi turned their backs to Zim and Gir, and walked off.

"Gir," Zim stated, sounding emotionless, "come… We're going home." Zim started walking towards home, with Gir following shortly behind him. There was a sad expression on the dog's face, but he knew that when his master sounded like that, it was best not to say anything. But he couldn't help looking back at Mimi, secretly hoping that this wasn't going to turn out how he feared it would.

_**One How Later…..**_

Five miles out of town was the place Tak chose for the battle grounds. It was very secluded. Because in between them and the city was five miles worth of wilderness. They, themselves, were in the forest. It was a large circular clearing, around 100 yards wide and 100 yards long. It was the perfect place to have a fight to the death without drawing any attention.

Standing 20 away from each other was Zim and Tak. Both were out of their disguises, and in their issued Irken Invader uniforms. They'd spent one hour getting ready for their fight, and were fit for what could be their last battle.

_**Meanwhile, Back on the Massive….**_

Everyone in the control room was all gathered around the large monitor, excited about what was to be the greatest fight in Irken history. Everyone had flags that said, "GO TAK," and, "TAK IS 1," and, "SHOW NO MERCY TAK!" Even the service drones weren't working. The Tallest granted the day off as well, given the special occasion. "Okay everyone," Red announced as he stood up. "This is the moment we've all been waiting for! This is the day Zim, the worst mistake in Irken history, the one who ruined Operation: Impending Doom I, will finally DIE!" Everyone clapped and cheered at the announcement. "Today, we will all witness the greatest battle to the death in ages! Today, we will witness the cause of all Irken suffering finally get what he has coming to him!" As everyone proceeded to celebrate, Red turned to Purple. "Have the detonation remote ready?"

Purple smiled. "I sure do." He held up a little remote control, with a single red button with a skull and crossbones o printed on it.

"Good," Red hissed, sitting back down in his chair. "Now, let the show _**BEGIN!**_"

_**Back on Earth….**_

Feeling restless about the fight to the death ahead of him, Zim felt the urge to say something. "Tak, before we start the fight," he began, getting the Irken girl's attention. "I feel that it would be honorable to keep out SIR units out of the fight… We I am to die here, it is to be by _YOUR_ hands, and not your SIR's." At this time, he motioned for Gir to go to the sidelines with his head. Gir didn't say anything. He just looked up with a sorrow filled expression, saluted, and walked off to the edge of the clearing. Tak sighed, and did the same with Mimi.

When both SIR units were off to the sidelines, Tak also felt that she should suggest something. "Zim, do you remember when we were training in Irken hand-to-hand combat?" Zim remembered. He remembered that he and Tak were the best in the whole squad. But when put against one another, neither could win. Even though Tak was slightly taller then Zim, he managed to make up for his lack in height with near perfect fighting skills. "We were never able to beat each other… So I feel a fight to the death _**WITHOUT**_ using any weapons would also be the most fitting for this final fight. Wouldn't you agree?"

Zim nodded his head, agreeing with Tak's way of thinking… He personally couldn't help it. Even though he wasn't an Invader of Irk anymore, even though he was dubbed a "Defective" by the Tallest, he couldn't go against the Irken rules for duels. His pride as an Invader was stolen from him by the Tallest, but his pride as a Irken? No… He refused to let them take that away from him. So, Zim and Tak removed their PAKs _**( I was told that the PAKs were somehow attached to their bodies, and were somehow their life source. Is that true? Because if it is, I'm gonna be naughty and break a couple of rules in Invader Zim. In this story, they aren't attached to them, and they don't effect them living or not. Hope this doesn't piss anyone off… ) **_and threw them to the side. Then, both dropped into different fighting stances. Then, without warning and simultaneously, Zim and Tak dashed towards each other, ready to fight.

_**Meanwhile….**_

"Okay Zim, Open up! I know you and Tak are planning on taking over Earth, so come on out," Dib shouted, as he pounded on Zim's front door. Gaz was behind him, with a camera around her neck, while she played her handheld. Dib was holding what he called a "Ultra Plasma Rocket Launcher" in his hands. "Come on, Zim! Don't bother trying to hide from me! I know you and Tak are in there! Just get out here and tell me what you have planned!" He continued to bang on the door, getting irritated.

Gaz sighed and looked up from her game. "Have you considered that he might not be home?" She asked, not caring besides the fact that Dib dragged her along with him for photographic evidence of aliens in the city. "You'd think he'd come to at least deny planning anything by now, wouldn't you think?"

Dib turned to his sister, chuckling. "Gaz, Gaz, Gaz," he chuckled, ruffling Gaz's hair with one hand. "You don't understand aliens like I do. Zim is someone who likes to make me wait. The only thing that is different this time is that the longer he makes me wait, the longer and louder I'm going to bang on his door. He's got to come on out eventually. Trust me on this."

Gaz rolled her eyes and proceeded to play her video game. "Zim! I said come out," Dib continued. "There's no use hiding! I'm seriously getting pissed off!"

_**Back on the Massive….**_

The whole control room was flooding with cheering, as the fight between Zim and Tak continued. They had just finished watching Tak deliver a roundhouse kick to Zim's stomach, sending him stumbling across the ground. Red and Purple were cheering the loudest. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! This is the best," Red cried, as he downed a whole bag of popcorn in one try. "I'll remember this day for the rest of my life! We _SHOULD_ broadcast this fight to the Irken public!" Everyone hissed and booed when they witness Zim deliver a solid punch to Tak's face. Purple didn't say anything… He just kept on cheering, with the detonator still in hand.

_**Back with Zim and Tak….**_

Punches and kicks were flying everywhere. Zim and Tak have been fighting _continuously _for an hour and a half being small creatures, Zim and Tak were surprisingly strong, flexible and fast. The Irkens, believe it not, were also known for being fierce in close combat. And since both Irkens were the best of their squad, it was amazing to see them in action. Both were able to dodge and counter the other's attacks. Every time one would land a hit on the other, the other always managed to return the strike with one of their own almost immediately. Zim took his fighting stance after he and Tak broke off from fighting, breathing heavily. He had a couple of bruises on his face from when Tak got in some good hits. There was also a little blood crusting on the side of his mouth.

Zim looked at Tak with a grin, after spitting some blood from his mouth onto the ground. "You *pant* haven't changed *pant* Tak," he called out. "It's nice to *pant* see you haven't *pant* gotten rusty on *pant* me after all these *pant* years!"

Tak looked at him with a cocky smirk. She was in no better condition then Zim was. There were a couple of cuts and bruises on her face. She was also having difficulty catching her breath, but she managed. "You too *gasp* Zim," she replied in between gasps. But her smirk immediately disappeared, and was replaced with a serious frown. "But don't get overly confident, Zim," she continued, after catching her breath. "I _will_ win… And you _will_ die."

Zim adapted to the sudden change in mood and returned her stern scowl. "I didn't forget… I was just enjoying myself, was all. But if you insist in being serious, then well…" He didn't finish the sentence. Without warning, he dashed forward and charged Tak. He came up and sent a punch at his opponent. Tak caught his fist in one hand, and countered with a sweep kick. But Zim did a back flip, ultimately avoiding the attack. When he was back on his feet, he managed to see Tak just in time to see she was preparing to send a kick his way. When she did, he leaned to one side, and sank his fist into Tak's stomach. She let out a grunt of pain, but immediately twisted around really fast, elbowing Zim square in the face. He stumbled backwards, but managed to stay on his feet. When he felt something was in his mouth, he spat on the ground. In a blob of spit and blood was one of his teeth.

He turned his attention back to Tak. She was charging at him again. Tak threw another punch, but instead of blocking it, Zim _ducked_ under it. Then he lunged forward, ramming his knee into Tak's stomach. This strike was powerful enough to send he tumbling to the ground, gasping for breath. But her endurance to pain was great. The second she fell to the ground, she immediately rolled on her back and ended back on her feet. Tak clenched her stomach, and hissed in pain. 'He's gotten _much _stronger,' she thought, dropping back into her fighting stance.

_**Meanwhile….**_

_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! _Dib was banging on Zim's front door nonstop. "Zim! I said get out here," Dig bellowed at the top of his lungs. "It's been two _**HOURS**_ now! At least let you yell at you in person!" As Dib refused to end his barrage of knocks, Gaz was laying in Zim's front lawn with earplugs in, sleeping.

_**Back with Zim and Tak….**_

Sweat was pouring down both Zim's and Tak's faces. Oddly enough, while their own tears would burn their skin, sweat had absolutely _NO_ effect on their skin, whatsoever. Zim and Tak were nearing their limit. It's been two straight hours of continuous fighting… One had to lose sooner or later. 'S-so tired,' Tak thought, trying her best to stay square on her feet. Everything was blurring in and out for her. 'I can't l-lose here… I just **CANT**!' Feeling a sudden burst of energy, Tak dashed forward towards Zim, who _appeared_ to have problems staying on his feet as well. "Die!" She prepared to send the most powerful kick she'd even sent in her life at Zim.

But when she did, she was in for a rude surprise. With unbelievable speed, Zim swept underneath the powerful kick. As the attack flew over his head, he reached down and latched on to Tak's ankle. All this happened in the blink on an eye. With incredible strength, Zim started spinning around and around, still holding on to Tak's ankle. After timing it just right, he released. Tak was sent flying through the air, and _**SLAMMED**_ into the side of a tree, letting out a pain-filled scream.

_**Back on the Massive….**_

"Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit," Purple shouted repeatedly, slamming his fists on the floor. "She's done! Game over! End game! She loses!" Purple was pissed. Against all odds, it appeared that Zim defeated Tak.

Red, irritated with his purple eyed friend, smacked him upside the head. "Did you forget, you idiot?" He scalded, receiving a nasty/confused look from Purple. "We still have plan "B". Remember?" He pointed to the detonator.

But Purple frowned. "That fucking SIR unit is too far away to get Zim and Tak. What's the point of…?" His angry hissy-fit was silenced when he saw Red pull out a remote control, resembling any regular game controller. Purple looked at him with a maniacal smirk. "Take control of Tak's SIR unit?"

Red snickered evilly. "You bet your ass…"

_**Back with Zim and Tak….**_

Tak was laying on the ground, gasping desperately for air. Her impact against the tree was so intense, it literally knocked all the air out of her lungs. She also couldn't move. She was experiencing far too much pain to even think about moving. She opened one eye, and saw Zim standing over her, with one arm nursing his sore side.

"N-no," Tak whispered, with tears of sheer sorrow filling her eyes. "You c-can't win… Y-you just can't…" Small streams of tears rolled down her face, slightly burning her in the process. Tak was devastated that after all she had been through, all the hard work she went through, that everything that ever mattered to her was coming to a end. Still unable to move her body, she looked up at Zim with a glare.

"Looks like we finally know who's better at hand-to-hand combat, eh Tak?" He chuckled.

"Shut up and finish me off, Zim," Tak spat. "You've won… And now that the Tallest know I was unable to defeat you, I'll never be an Invader. So just kill me!" Tears continued to come down her face as she _ordered _Zim to kill her.

"… No…" Tak's eyes snapped open.

"Wh-what?" She asked, no fully believing what she just heard.

"I said I _won't_ kill you, Tak," he repeated, sitting down cross-legged at Tak's feet. He had on a neutral expression… Not happy, not angry, not sad, not nothing… Just neutral. "Is that too hard to understand?"

"Yes it is," Tak almost screamed. "How dare you show pity on me? What? Am I pathetic in your eyes or something? I wouldn't have shown _YOU_ any mercy! Why on Irk would you show me any?"

At first, Zim didn't answer. He just sat there. But when he was about to explain, he hear Gir go, "Mimi? What are you doing?" And before he could turn around, a set of metal arms came from behind and enclosed around Zim, ultimately trapping him… It was Mimi. Her mechanical arms wrapped around Zim with near bone-crunching strength, keeping Zim from breaking free.

"Mimi," Tak cried, angered by her SIR unit acting out of order. "I did not order you to assist me! Stand do…"

"_You didn't Tak,"_ Mimi _**SPOKE**_, in Tallest Red's voice. Zim's and Tak's eyes snapped open when they recognized the voice of one of the Tallest. _"But __**I**__did."_

Tak froze in shock. "M-my Tallest," she said, confused to hear his voice. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"_What I should've done a long time ago, Tak… You and Zim have been a thorn in our sides for far too long now, so now we're going to do something about it!"_ With Mimi's grip refusing to let up, Zim was unable to speak. Red continued. _"You see, when we saved your worthless ass, our technicians decided to have a little fun while working on Mimi. They added a self-destruction device to her, along with a remote control, which I have, while Purple is in control of __when__ you and Zim blow up."_ Tak was speechless… Her Tallest planned on killing _HER_ as well as Zim? _"You see, we have no room for hot-headed, quick-tempered, uncontrollable Irken Invaders in our army. And sadly, you fall into that category. So, we decided to do away with the both of you at once. So sorry we forgot to mention that part of the plan to you… Must've slipped my mind. AW WELL! Push the button, Purple!"_

All of a sudden, Mimi's eyes started flashing red. It started out slow, but slowly started to pick up pace. Fearing this was the end, both Zim and Tak closed their eyes. They held their breath, until they heard Gir go, "NO! MASTER!" Gir flew in on his rocket feet, with large blades where his hands should be. One blade came down, severing Mimi's arms, releasing Zim for her captivity. The other one imbedded itself in Mimi's back. He reeled her to him. But when she was no more than 15 feet away from Zim and Tak…

She detonated…

_**To Be Continued….**_

… OMFG! Cliffhanger! Oh damn it! And it was just getting good! Ah man! That sucks, doesn't it? HAHAHAHA! Did you all enjoy that chapter? I hope you did. I hope you all somewhat enjoyed the changes I put Zim and Tak through. I just thought it might add some much needed suspense to the story. So… ARE THEY ALIVE? WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THEM? ARE GIR AND MIMI OKAY? All will be answered in the next chapter… So just please be patient. This story is going to take a major turn… For better or for worse, you mat ask? Well, again, you'll just have to wait and see. _**If you see and spelling or grammar mistakes, please inform me immediately. I finished this at around 10:00pm, so I might've missed some stuff. **_And don't forget to leave plenty of reviews. Hope to hear from y'all soon! PEACE!


	6. The Road to Recovery

Rating: T

Main Pairing: Zim/Tak

Author's Notes: HAHAHA! Hello everyone! It's time for your favorite writer from the Final Frontier, the _coolest_ writer that ever came out of Alaska, the one, the only, MR. ALASKA! ( Cue applause ) HAHAHA! The last chapter was so much fun to write! The emotion, the action, the double-crossing, EVERYTHING! And again, I am informed that the last chapter contained some spelling and grammar mistakes. I finished the chapter late at night, so I was unable to spot _all_ of my mistakes. Please forgive me. Anyway, I hope you all are ready for the next chapter to this suspense filled story. What happened to Zim, Tak, Gir and Mimi you may ask? Well, all shall be answered in this chapter… But prepare yourself. Something _**BIG**_ is on the horizon. Something good, and something bad. So take a seat, relax, grab whatever for a snack, and enjoy the show! PLEASE REVIEW! XD

Chapter 6: The Road to Recovery

'… Wh-where am I…?' Tak thought, as she slowly started coming back to consciousness. 'The last I r-remember was Mimi, exploding… A-am I dead?' But when she felt how sore she was, she quickly came to the conclusion that she was alive… But she was so weak. She barely had enough energy to open her eyes. 'Where am I?' Slowly, she started to open one eye.

She was laying on a bed, but she didn't know where she was. All she saw was a ceiling, with large wires running all across it. She heard the sounds of some machine beeping. After a few seconds, she realized that that every beep was heard every time her heart beat. Stiffly and slowly, Tak tilted her head up to see her body. She was still wearing what she remembered wearing before Mimi exploded. Except her sleeves were torn off so that the I.V in her arm could be connected to her vein.

"Computer, how are the repairs to Gir and Mimi going?" That voice… Tak recognized that voice. It was Zim's voice. That's when Tak determined where she was. She must be in Zim's underground base… But way? She turned her head, and saw him. Zim looked twice, if not three times worse then she did. He sat at his computer chair, reading the reports on the repairs to the two SIR units. Half his face was bandaged up, with fresh blood drying around the area around where his left eye would be. He wasn't wearing a shirt. Now there was nothing but more bandages, wrapping around his torso like a mummy. There were crutches beside the computer he was working on, because there was a cast around his right leg. After looking at the report, he sighed with relief. "Yes… There is some improvement…"

This didn't make sense. Tak remembered being in a duel to the death with Zim for more then two hours. She was showing no mercy. She was ready to _kill_ him, if given the chance. But, somehow he managed to beat her… He refused to kill her. She was expecting him to she her no mercy if he'd won, like what she would've done if she had won. But instead she awoke here, in his base, being cared after. Nothing was adding up.

Having some energy by this point, she spoke. "Z-Zim," she called out, in a low, shaky voice. Zim turned around in his chair, and looked at her with his good eye. When she saw him with a somewhat relieved expression on his face, she frowned. "Wh-what am I d-doing here?" She asked, trying her best to sit up. But she was far too sore to sit up.

"You're in my base," he answered, reaching for his crutches. After pulling himself up, he continued, as he limped his way to where Tak was laying. "You've been out cold for two whole days because of the explosion. A piece of shrapnel struck you in the head, knocking you out. Luckily, it was a _blunt_ piece of shrapnel, instead of a sharp one, lucky huh?" He chuckled, limping to her heart monitor. After scanning over the readings, he turned back to her. "Your vitals seem okay, so in…."

"Where is Mimi?" Tak interrupted. Zim looked at her in confusion, surprised by the change in subject Tak decided to take. "I heard you say their repairs were coming along… Is she okay?"

Zim took a few seconds before answering. "Yes, Mimi and Gir are alright," he started, receiving a relieved sigh from Tak, who laid her head back down on her pillow. "Incredibly, both Gir's and Mimi's central hard-drives managed to survive the explosion. While their bodies were destroyed, their personalities, their memories, everything, still survived. All I need to do is build them new bodies, and put the hard-drives back into place… It'll be almost like nothing happened to them."

Tak took a deep breath, before tilting her head back up to send Zim a dark look. "Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?" Zim, needless to say, was caught off guard by the question. He raised his only _visible _eyebrow at Tak's question. "You should've just killed me, Zim," she continued, refusing to seize the glare she was sending at him. "That's what I would've done if in your position. I was ready to kill you if I saw the proper opportunity… But you decided to let me live… Why? Are you showing me _pity_ or something?"

"Well, I didn't kill you because…" He Began, until his computer spoke up.

"_Master,"_ it interrupted, much to Tak's annoyance. _"There is a intruder present at the front door. Patching security camera link." _When the security camera came on, it showed Dib, pounding on the front door. Zim let out a loud, irritated sigh, before turning to Tak.

"I'll be right back," he sighed, limping to the elevator.

_**With Dib….**_

_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! _"Zim! I know you're home this time," Dib cried, pounded ceaselessly on the door. "I saw your ship landing in your roof two nights ago! Now open up! I'm serious!" _BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! _He had no weapons with him this time, in hopes that Zim would come out. "Come on, Zim! I'm getting pretty fucking tired of you avoiding me! Now get out here and…"

Suddenly, the front door FLEW open, exposing a crippled Zim. Dib looked at him, shocked to see him in that sort of condition. "Dib, leave me the _FUCK_ alone," Zim shouted at the top of his lungs. "For the last fucking time, I _**DON'T**_ have a plan to take over Earth! I'm no longer an Invader! I am banished to this planet for the rest of my life by my leaders! So now, I have absolutely _**NO**_ desire to take over Earth! Now, will you finally leave me alone?"

There was a long silence… Dib didn't know how to react to what h just heard. 'He's no longer an Invader?' Dib thought, as he stared at the bandaged up Zim. 'Banished here on Earth? What the hell?' Before he could even think of a response, Zim slammed the door in his face.

"Stupid, obsessive, annoying, paranoid human," Zim growled, as he limped back to the trash can, disguised as the elevator. He took a deep breath, and used all his strength to lift himself in. Once he was in, he started going down. "I'll probably have to wear this dumb cast for another couple of days," he continued to himself, changing the subject. "I'll have to come up with a cover story for when I go back to Skool. Hmmm…" Zim started thinking of a fake story, as he neared the last floor. "Skateboarding accident might work… Humans are known to skateboard as a hobby." Finally, he reached the final floor to his base. The doors opened up, but Zim was surprised to see that Tak wasn't laying in her bed. Zim raised a eyebrow. She shouldn't be up and walked. Not right after what just happened to her. "Tak? Where are…" Zim began, stepping out of the elevator. When out of nowhere…

_**BAM!**_

Tak's fist came out of nowhere, slamming into Zim's already sore jaw. Zim let out a loud hiss of pain as he fell to the ground, losing his crutches in the process. When Zim hit the ground, he cringed in pain. But then all of a sudden, Tak pounced on top of him. Her knees held down his arms, making him unable to move, both because of her weight and the fact he was still weak from the fight and explosion. Zim cracked his eyelids open, to see the barrel of one of his own Plasma Pistols. 'Damn,' Zim hissed in his head, struggling to break free from his captor. 'She shouldn't even be able to stand!'

"Z-Zim… Wh-why?" Zim stopped struggling to get free when he heard Tak's voice. It sounded much softer then he ever remember hearing her voice being. It was also shaky. Then, Zim noticed the barrel of the Plasma Pistol was shaking. "Why didn't you kill me?" Tak asked again, who was shaking just as much as her gun. "I wouldn't have shown you any mercy if I'd won. I would've killed you! So why are you trying to help me?"

Zim managed to tilt his head enough to see Tak's face. What he say surprised him. When he saw Tak, he realized the reason for her soft voice and her uncontrollable shaking. She was crying. Tears were pouring down her face, causing her skin to sizzle. She looked down at him with a watery glare, both her hands gripping the Plasma Pistol, her finger on the trigger. She repeated herself. "Why help me, when I would like nothing better than to see you dead?"

With the barrel of the gun now resting on his neck, Zim took in a deep breath. "Because," he started, in a soft voice equal to Tak's, "because we are the same now."

_**Meanwhile, Aboard the Massive….**_

The whole ship was in a state of complete celebration. Even though it has been two days since Zim's and Tak's "death" everyone has been partying nonstop. There was music, dancing, laughing, drinking, everything. For the Irken people, Zim had been nothing but a menace. Before his participation in Operation: Impending Doom I, Zim was already responsible for over half the disasters that occurred on Irk. Accidental explosions, power outages… You name it, Zim was responsible for it. So when the news of his "death" was announced across the Massive, it has been a never-ending party since. Everyone was celebrating.

Well, _**almost**_ everyone. Purple, who was cramming his face with snacks, turned to Red. His fellow Tallest was sitting in his chair, with an uncertain frown on his face. He had his legs up in chair, sitting cross-legged. He had his hand holding his chin up, as if he was thinking about something. Curious, Purple strolled over and tapped his on the shoulder. "Come on, Red," Purple whined, "you're missing the biggest party in Irken history here! What's with your party-killing attitude?"

Red looked up at his carefree friend with a serious expression on his face. "Because I don't think Zim is really dead," he answered, causing Purple to choke on the snacks he was eating. He coughed up bits of donuts and nachos he _was_ eating, and looked at Red with a "WTF" look. "Call me crazy, but I have a feeling the little bastard is _still_ alive down there." Purple looked at him as if he _was_ crazy, so he explained. "Do you remember Zim's SIR unit?" He asked. Purple raised a eyebrow, but nodded his head.

"Yes," he answered, "but Mimi exploded right next them. How can you think Zim could survive _THAT_?"

Red sighed. "Because the bomb wasn't that strong," he replied, quiet enough so that only he and Purple could hear. "The bomb that our technicians implanted in Mimi was only a level one Plasma Bomb. It has a instant kill range of only ten feet. When Zim's SIR pulled Mimi back, I estimated that he pulled her back at least 15ft."

Purple snorted with laughter. "So? What does a mere five feet matter? Zim and Tak are _**DEAD**_, Red," he reassured, slugging Red in the shoulder. "They're finally gone! So please, for your sake, enjoy the _**PARTY!**_" When he shouted this, everyone let out a happy/drunken cheer. When Purple staggered off to join a Conga Line, Red stood up.

"You can go off and get drunk if you want," he growled, walking to the door. "I have to make 100% sure that Zim is out of our lives." When the large sliding doors open, he walked out, much to Purple's disappointment.

_**In The Massive's Laboratory….**_

The laboratory of the Massive was a horrible place. It was more like a prison for the Irken doctors' experiments. It was dark, damp, and the sounds of animalistic growls and roars filled the hallways. Red walked beside Dr. Killek. He was a short Irken male. He had on a large robotic eye where his right original eye would've been, which was the result of one of his experiments escaping. His remaining eye was dark blue, which was rare among Irkens.

"Thank you for meeting me on such short notice, Dr. Killek," Red said, as he and the doctor walked down the halls of the Massive Laboratory. "I heard you were working on a experiment and it was going well. I thought you would've been too busy."

Dr. Killek turned to Red with a large, creepy, crooked tooth grin. "Nonsense, my Almighty Tallest," he replied, with a low hiss. "Me and my experiments can wait. If something is important enough for one of the Almighty Tallest to come to me for help, it would've been treason for me to refuse my assistance. I am deeply honored that you asked for my expertise for whatever you need."

Dr. Killek is among the greatest scientific minds of Irk. Throughout all of the great Irken scientists who applied to be the Massive's head doctor, both Red and Purple chose Killek personally. Because he was also as _DANGEROUS_ and _INSANE_ as he was brilliant with Irken technology. Because of Dr. Killek's technological advances improvements to Irken weaponry, many planets fell in Irken invasions. But what made Killek boarder lining insane was what he did with POWs ( Prisoners of War ) in his laboratory. He'd make them into walking monstrosities, brainwashed servants, or worse. But that was one of the reasons for Red wanting to meet Killek.

"I trust you heard about the "_death_" of Zim, did you not?" Red asked. Killek nodded his head.

"Yes I have," he answered, with his hands behind his back. "Such a shame. I wanted him _alive_. I'm sure I could've made him suffer for his treasonous acts against the Irken Empire. But instead, he died on a worthless planet billion miles away… Such a shame."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Red stated, as they neared Prison Cell 294, which was a _MAX SECURITY_ prison cell. Dr. Killek turned to Tallest Red, curious. "I have strong reason to believe Zim _isn't _dead." When Dr. Killek heard this, his antennas stood on end. "I believe he and fellow Defective Invader Tak are still alive. I've heard that your prisoner, Prisoner 294, was one of you best test specimen. So, I thought…"

"You want me to release Prisoner 294 on Earth, to hunt down and kill them, don't you?" Dr. Killek finished. With a evil grin, Red nodded… Much to Dr. Killek's delight. "Oh joy," he cried out, entering the number code to Prison Cell 294. "I've always wanted to let Gragnok loose on some unsuspecting planet, but I've never found one worth releasing him on. But if releasing him on Earth means the demise of Zim, then I guess now would be the best time let Gragnok off his leash." After entering the code, the prison triple enforced security door slid open, revealing Gragnok, or better known as Prisoner 294.

Tallest Red inspected the prisoner, and couldn't help but smile wickedly. "Perfect."

_**Back on Earth….**_

Tak looked at Zim, astonished at the answer he gave her. She slowly pulled the Plasma Pistol from Zim's neck, but kept it pointed at him. With tear filled eyes, she stared at him with a scornful gaze. "Wh-what do you mean, "_We're the same_."? In what possible way?" Tak asked, tears still dripping down her face. When it was apparent that Tak didn't understand, Zim looked at her with a soft expression.

"You and I _are_ the same, Tak," he repeated. "You were betrayed by the Tallest like I have. You are branded a "Defective" like I am. The Tallest tried to have you killed, just like me." As Zim began naming off a list of things they shared in common, Tak bit down on her bottom lip. "We both gave the Tallest and the Irken Empire every ounce of our devotion. We both strived to be the best Invader on Irk. And we both did everything we could to achieve praise from the Tallest… But no matter how hard we tried, we both were betrayed by those we gave our entire lives to serve."

Tak just sat there, still holding the gun, and still shaking. She continued to glare at Zim, until she finally snapped. "This is all your fault!" Without warning, Tak tossed the gun to the side, and proceeded to pummel Zim's face with her fists. They were weak strikes, but the pour sorrow and hatred behind them was felt by him. Tears rained from Tak's eyes as she continued her assault. "You ruined my life! If I had made it to the last test, I would've been given the rank of Invader! If it wasn't for you, I would be on some enemy planet, taking it over! If it wasn't for you, I would've had the life I truly deserved! But because of you, my whole life is ruined! I HATE YOU!" Tak continued the punch Zim in the face.

But then, finally wiggling his arms out from under Tak's knees, Zim reached out and grabbed both of Tak's fists. Tak tried to break the hold he had on her hands, but his grip was too strong. But when she looked at him, she was confused beyond belief. He still had on a blank look, even though he had a couple new bruises from Tak's onslaught. He looked at her, and spoke in the same soft voice as before.

"I'm sorry, Tak." The second she heard those words, she stopped struggling and stared at him. "I'm sorry for everything I've caused you. You would've made a great Invader. Probably better then I ever could be. But because of me and my mistake, your one chance was taken from you… And for that, I am truly sorry."

There was nothing but silence after that. Both stared into each other's eyes, neither knowing what to say next. Tear continued to fall from her eyes, but now, she could barely feel the sting anymore. Zim slowly loosened his grip on Tak's fist. And when he released them completely, he met with no further beatings. She just looked at him, breathing heavily. But it didn't last long. Soon, she eyes went blurry, and she started loosing her balance. She then slumped backwards, and went limp.

Panicky, Zim pushed himself up to inspect her. After checking her vitals, he discovered that she merely passed out. "I guess her body's condition finally caught up with here," he chuckled aloud, as he reached for his crutches. He stood up, and turned to his computer. "Computer," he announced.

"_Yes master?"_ Computer replied.

"Put Tak back on the bed and give her a new I.V drip. I have to check on the repairs to Gir and Mimi." Zim started limping to the other side of the lab, when Computer spoke up.

"_Umm… Are you sure that's wise, sir? She almost killed you… TWICE!"_

"Don't argue with me, Computer," Zim growled. "Just do it."

_**Back on the Massive….**_

Gragnok, or Prisoner 294, stood in the center of his cell, chained down with high-powered, electro-shock restraints. He stood over seven feet tall, and was nearly all muscle. His long, lizard like tail swung freely, lashing back and forth. His scaly skin was a dark green, and almost as strong as steel. His head resembled that of a Iguana, except his mouth was filled with razor sharp teeth. He looked down at Tallest Red and Dr. Killek with crimson blood red eyes. ( Basically, he's a very buff Lizard Man )

"My Almighty Tallest, I give you my greatest experiment, Gragnok, of the Serpharian race," Dr. Killek began, as he and Red slowly circled around him. "When we captured him, he was no muscular than you or I, but now, he has enough muscles to bend steel without breaking a sweat. Now, his skin is harder that any metal. He can withstand heat of over 600 degrees, nearly nothing can penetrate his skin… And best _of all_…" Then, Killek clapped his hands twice. Seconds later, the restraints holding him down slipped off, and fell to the ground. Red panicked, and was about to run off screaming when Dr. Killen stopped him. Red stopped, and realized that Gragnok _**wasn't**_ charging after them or anything. He just stood there, not doing anything. "He is _completely _under my control."

Red looked at the monstrous creature with awe. The fact the Dr. Killek could _create_ such a thing and have it under his control was amazing. Red turned to the short, insane doctor and grinned devilishly. "Have I given you a promotion, lately?" He asked. Killek shook his head. "Well, expect a 1,000,000 monie raise in your next pay check. When can we set him loose on Earth?"

Dr. Killek turned to him with a equally evil grin. "When do you _want_ to set him loose, my Tallest?"

_**To Be Continued….**_

YAY! Zim and Tak are still alive! YAY! Did you all enjoy this chapter? I hope things are going at a comfortable pace. Okay, what you witnessed in this chapter was the first hint of ZATR ( Zim and Tak Romance ) in the story. It's not obvious, but it's there. And in case any of you are wondering, no, she did not faint because of any romantic reasons. ( Like Hinata from Naruto ) She fainted from her body going through so much. So yeah. She still _kinda_ hates him. But once she wakes up, things will slowly, but surely, start to change. And HOLY SHIT! No characters have been thrown into the mix. The psychotic Dr. Killek, evil genius, and his lizard-man creation Gragnok. What will happen next? Tone in next time. _**Again, if you see any spelling or grammar mistakes, please forgive me. If you see any, please point them out to me by review or PM.**_ Please leave plenty of reviews. I hope to hear from y'all soon! PEACE!


	7. Mirikia

Rating: T

Main Pairing: Zim/Tak

Author's Notes: Hello again! It's me again! I'm here with, yes, another update for everyone's favorite ZATR story! YAAAAY! In the last chapter, you saw Zim come out and claim he and Tak were the same. Bet you didn't see that coming, did ja? I know Zim sound's a little out of character… But personally, I think it is a improvement. Don't you think so? And I introduced two new members of the "We Hate Zim" fan club. First, there is Dr. Killek, the psychotic Irken doctor of the Massive… Who is also Tallest Red's go-to guy. And, of course, we have Prisoner 294, Gragnok. The blood-thirsty, near unstoppable Serphatian… And Dr. Killek's favorite experiment. The Tallest and evil doctor intend on setting him loose on Earth, in search of the _supposedly_ dead Zim and Tak. Excitement! Action! Romance! This story has it all! And just so you know, I will throw in a some ZATR fluff in, since the big moment is nearing. *Wink* When it does come, though, it will be after a LOT of explaining on both parts… So yeah, you have that to look forward to. X3 So please sit back, relax, do whatever, and enjoy the ride! PEACE!

Chapter 7: Mirikia

Tak awoke again a few hours later, feeling the same as before. Weak, light-headed, sore, etc. She opened her eyes, and looked around. She had a little bit more energy this time around, because she was able to look around without any trouble. She saw Zim, sitting at his computer, unwrapping the bandages around the left side of his face. She was about to speak, but Computer beat her to the punch. _"Master, Tak is awake."_

Zim, now with the bandages off his face, turned to Tak. She saw his face, and noticed that there was a large scare going down across Zim's left eye. When he saw her, he smiled. "You passed out a few hours ago," he informed her, using his crutches to get up. "You should've stayed in bed. Your body needed to recover properly before getting up and moving around." Zim limped to her heart monitor, and looked over the reading it was giving him.

As Zim read the machine, Tak looked at him with an emotionless gaze. "I still don't forgive you, Zim," she started, out of the blue. Zim sighed and continued reading the machine as Tak continued. "You can apologize to me until you go blue in the face. But I will _NEVER_ forgive you for ruining my life… Never." She turned her head, and glared at the floor. "Just because you're helping me recover doesn't change a thing, you know? I'll just end up trying to kill you again, eventually."

Tak was trying to get some sort of reaction from Zim, who was _ignoring_ her death threats. Finally, when Tak was about to start up again, Zim turned to her with a smug grin. "I know that," he answered, completely baffling Tak. Even though she said she'd kill him later, he _STILL_ wants to help her? Huh? "I know I can't do or say anything that can make up for ruining your life, Tak," he continued, as he limped over, and changed Tak's I.V drip. "But that won't stop me from trying to save your life."

As Zim changed out her I.V drip, Tak stared at him, completely confused. She didn't bother resisting his help with her I.V drip. She just looked up at him, wanting answers. "What in the name of Irk is with you Zim?" She asked. Zim looked down at her. "First you beat me from a inch of my life. Then I ambushed you after you rescued me from the explosion. And _NOW_ you still want to help me? What is going through your mind right now?"

Zim sat down in the chair beside Tak's bed, and took a deep breath. "Do you remember what I told you when you asked me why I saved you in the first place, Tak?" She nodded, frowning at the remembrance of the answer. "Well, that still implies. You are a "Defective" just like me. So, if I had just left you to die, I would be no better then the Tallest." Zim started unwrapping the bandages wrapped around his torso. As it unwrapped, Tak noticed that Zim had _multiple _scars all across his chest, most likely from the shrapnel from Mimi's explosion.

Then Tak looked down to the side again, and sighed. "How bad do you have it?" She asked. Zim figured out she was referring to his injuries, so he smiled and scratched the back of his head.

"Well, since I was closest to Mimi when she went off, I was struck with more shrapnel than you," he began, unwrapping the rest of his bandages, revealing even more scars. "But lucky for me, all of the shards of metal missed all my vital organs. I also received this nasty scar here, almost losing my eye in the process," he added, pointing to the scar across his left eye. "But besides that, a few fractured ribs and a broken leg, I'll managed."

_**Meanwhile, Back Aboard the Massive….**_

Standing in the hanger bay stood Tallest Red, Dr. Killek, and Gragnok. They had just finished suiting Gragnok up to not only hunt down and kill Zim and Tak, but to wreck havoc on Earth itself, as well. Gragnok now had on a **XXXL** Irken Invader uniform, with reinforced protective steel plating inside the chest. Across his chest was a large selection of explosive weapons. Plasma Grenades, Electro Pulse Grenades, Poisonous Gas Grenades, you name it. And on his back was a large, spiked Serphatian War Hammer.

"Gragnok will lay waste to Earth in a matter of hours," Dr. Killek hissed, as he signaled for the Serphatian to enter the large Irken Destroyer. "From what Zim has informed us in previous reports, the humans' weaponry are light-years behind our technology. They use primitive weapons that shoot out little fragments of metal to kill their opponents. But because of Gragnok's stone-hard skin and protective armor, their weapons are virtually useless." Red snickered devilishly at this news. "And if both Zim and Tak are still alive, they would be far too weak to even attempt to fight back. I can promise you that Earth will be conquered in a matter of days."

Red scuffed. "I don't give a damn about Earth," he spat, as the doors to the Irken Destroyer slid closed. "All I want is Zim dead. If you want Gragnok to stay there and annihilate the human race, go right on ahead." Red turned his back, and proceeded to leave. "Earth was never a issue for me. That was just the planet Zim was lucky enough to land on… But contact me once Prisoner 294 lands on Earth."

"Yes, my Tallest," Dr. Killek replied, just as the Irken Destroyer departed into space.

_**Back on Earth….**_

Tak was laying on the bed, slowly regaining her strength. She slowly lifted her arms up, and started flexing them. Zim, now wearing a plain white T-shirt, was still at the computer, going over the modifications to Gir and Mimi. "Gir and Mimi should be up and running in one more hour," he announced. "All they need is some little changes to their systems and they'll be as good as new, if not better." He expected to hear some sort of reaction from Tak. She had a somewhat close relationship with her SIR unit, so she should be happy to hear Mimi was almost fixed. But when he got no reaction from Tak, he frowned. "Tak? Aren't you listening?" He asked, limping up beside her.

She was lost in thought, it seemed like. Tak just laid there, staring up at the ceiling. Zim raised a eyebrow, and waved his hand in front of her face. At first, she didn't react. But when he continued waving his hand, she suddenly lashed out and grabbed his wrist. Her grip was tight. "Yes," she said in a hiss, "I heard you." She released his hand, and looked in the other direction. Then she folded her arms across her chest. "I can't stand you Zim…" The comment aroused a grumpy frown from Zim, who sat down in the chair beside her bed. "You ruined my life, you humiliated me on several occasions, you defeated me in a fight to the death and refused to kill me. You should at least act like you hate me instead of showing me _kindness_." Zim laughed at this, which infuriated Tak to no end. "And stop laughing when I'm being serious! It's irritating."

Zim looked at her with sly grin. "You just don't get it, do you Tak?" He asked. Tak shot him a dark scowl, before he continued. "I _don't_ hate you. What would benefit me in hating you?" Tak had to admit that was a odd question, even for Zim. "I'm just trying to help a fellow "Defective" out."

"Stop calling me a Defective," Tak all but screamed. "I am _**nothing**_ like you! You were out of control, accident-prone, careless, selfish, and destructive! I was making something for myself! I was the best out of my class! I had a bright future ahead of me! But because you wanted that freakinging snack from that machine, you single handedly ended up causing a blackout for _HALF _of the entire planet! You might be a Defective, but I'm not! I was just unlucky enough to be in that room when it happened!" As she continued to yell at Zim, she started to feel tears collect in her eyes. When that happened, she looked away again.

Emotions… Those were the things Irken Invaders weren't suppose to show at anytime. They've been trained to mask all emotions from the world, and stay heartless during any situation. But here she was, crying again. It angered her to no end that she had trouble controlling her emotions, _especially _in front of Zim. 'Damn it,' she thought, 'why can't I stop crying? I'm not weak like Zim! I'm stronger than that!'

All of a sudden, an alarm sounded in the base. _"Master," _Computer started, sounding more panicked then Zim could ever recall before. _"We have a problem! An Irken Destroyer has entered Earth's airspace, and launched an escape pod! It landed in the center of town, and, well… Just look!"_ Computer then turned to the News.

"We're under attack!" A reporter appeared on the large screen, as he and his camera crew ran for their lives. "A large pod-like ship crashed landed in the center of town moments ago! Then, a large lizard-like creature emerged from the wreckage and started going on a rampage! It's destroying buildings, throwing cars through the air, and the police aren't able to stop it! It's unstoppable!" All of a sudden, a loud roar was heard. "OHMYGOD! Look out!" But a millisecond later, the video feed went to static.

Zim and Tak stared at the static on the computer monitor. A cold sweat fell down both Zim's and Tak's forehead. There was nothing but cold, uneasy silence. Until Computer continued. _"It appears to be that of the Serphatian race, except this one is __**much**__ bigger. And I heard him growl, "Where is Defective Zim and Tak," while he was destroying random buildings… What are we going to do?"_

Zim didn't answer. He sat in his chair, staring straight at the ground. 'They'll never stop,' he thought, standing up. 'They'll never rest until I'm dead… And now they're even after Tak, just for not being able to kill me. This has to end…' He turned to Tak. "Tak, can you walk?"

She didn't know. So she tried moving her legs. Stiffly, her legs slowly shifted from her bed to the floor. Tak pushed herself up, and dropped to the floor. She had a hard time keeping her balance at first. But after a couple of seconds, she steadied herself. "Good… Computer!"

"_Yes sire?"_

"Is my latest experiment ready for testing?" Tak looked at him. What experiment?

"_Well, it is done… But you haven't tested it, yet," _Computer answered, as Zim put on his PAK. _"We don't know if there is any health risks or dangerous side effects yet."_

"Computer, what did I say about arguing with me?" Zim asked, getting annoyed. "Just give it to me. I'll test it _**NOW**_." Tak looked at him, confused. "I've been working on a elixir that speeds up the body's healing process. I got the idea when I fell down the stairs and broke my arm. After wearing a cast, I decided to invent a remedy that would heal any wound rapidly." A mechanical arm then lowered from the ceiling, holding a vile of green glowing liquid. But before taking it, he turned to Tak. "Do you remember where Dib and his sister lives?" She nodded. "Good, go get them. We might need their help."

_**In Town…. ( WARNING: BLOOD AND GORE IS IN THIS CHAPTER! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED! )**_

It was pure chaos in the center of town. Buildings were reduced to rubble. Cars were totaled, flipped over, and on fire. Dead bodies of innocent civilians were scattered all across the streets. The only ones still in town was Gragnok, and the brave police and armed civilians who were trying to kill him. A police officer, three of his men, and four civilians armed with guns took cover behind turned over police car, firing at the approaching alien. "Aim for his head! His armor is too strong," yelled a police officer, as he fired his handheld pistol at Gragnok, who was merely walking towards them. He wielded his War Hammed, with fresh blood dripping of the razor sharp spike on the end. Everyone started aiming for his head, sending a barrage of bullets flying. But many on them missed. And for the ones who actually did hit the head, the bullets merely bounced off the Serphatian's hard skin.

"_**You humans bore me,"**_ Gragnok hissed loudly, gripping his humongous hammer tightly. _**"If you don't know where Zim is, then DIIIIIIIIE!"**_ Suddenly, Gragnok leapt about 30ft into the air, with his War Hammer raised high. He came down, and smashed two police men with the massive spike on his hammer. Both police men were impaled on the spike, until Gragnok pulled them off. As he tossed the dead bodies behind him, the others retreated, still firing at him. He leaned his War Hammer against the cop car, and dropped down on all fours. And with unbelievable speed, he dashed after them. He came up behind three civilians who were shooting at him, and swung at them with his sharp, four inch claws. With one swing, he decapitated all three men at once. As the three headless bodies fell to the ground squirting blood, Gragnok turned to the last remaining civilian. He opened his mouth, and his long lizard tongue shot out, wrapping around the civilian's neck. The man cried in fear as he was pulled back. But he was silenced when Gragnok pulled the man's head into his mouth, and bit it off.

Spitting the head out of his mouth, bullets rang out and struck him in the center al his chest. Gragnok looked up and saw the third police man. "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" He cried, firing at the monster nonstop. But then… _CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!_ He ran out of bullets.

"_**Heheheheheeeee," **_Gragnok chuckled, walking up to the terrified police man. _**"Out of bullets, huh? What a shame…"**_ The man was about to turn to run, but it was too late. In the blink of an eye, Gragnok send his hand in and impaled the poor man through his chest. Blood poured out of his mouth as he was lifted into the air. After a couple of seconds, his body went limp and lifeless. Gragnok threw the dead body to the side, and turned to the police officer. He was frozen with fear. _**"Your pitiful weapons have no effect on me human,"**_ Gragnok growled lowly, as he grabbed his hammer, and walked towards the terrified man. _**"I've traveled millions of miles in search on a creature that goes by the name of Zim. Tell me where he is, and I'll let you live."**_

Now Gragnok was standing directly in front of the man, towering over him. "I-I don't know wh-who this "Zim" p-person is," the officer stuttered.

"_**LIAR!"**_ Suddenly, Gragnok reached out and grabbed the scared man by the neck, and lifted him into the air. _**"I know that Zim lives here! Dr. Killek told me so! You are just trying to protect him! Where is he?"**_ The massive alien tightened his grip around the man's throat, cutting off his airway. The officer's legs flailed around as he struggled to breath.

"HEY! Big, green and ugly! Over here!" Then, a laser beam came in and struck Gragnok on the side of his head. He stumbled a little and looked in the direction of the attack, with one side of his head smoking. Zim stood 20ft away, holding a Plasma Pistol in both hands. He wasn't in his disguise. There was no point for it by this point. He was standing on _**BOTH**_ legs, with the one that was broken completely healed. He glared at Gragnok. "I'm the one you want," he shouted, aiming both Plasma Pistols at him. "Let him go!"

"_**Ziiiiiiiim," **_Gragnok growled, still holding the police officer in the air. _SNAP! _Instead of releasing him, Gragnok snapped his neck and threw him away. _**"Your acts against the Tallest and the Irken Empire will be punished here… You will die here… And when I find Defective Tak, I'll…" **_

_ZAP! ZAP!_

Before Gragnok could finish the sentence, two more Plasma shots came in and nailed him directly in the face. He growled in pain as he stumbled backwards, until he was leaning against the turned over police car. He looked at Zim in rage, who was staring back at him with a dark glare. Zim's mechanical spider legs sprouted out of his PAK, lifting him up so that he was towering over _Gragnok_. _**"OKAY! TIME TO DIE, ZIM!"**_

_**Meanwhile, at the Membrane Household….**_

Dib was laying on the couch staring at the ceiling, while Gaz sat in front of the television, playing a new violent video game. "He told me he wasn't an Invader anymore," Dib started up, right out of the blue. Gaz sighed. "He said he didn't want to take over the Earth anymore. But I'm not sure I believe him. He knows how to sound completely honest even though…" All of a sudden…

_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! _A barrage of knocks came from the front door. Dib got up, ran, and opened it. It was Tak, without her disguise on. Since everyone was hiding in their homes in fear of Gragnok, no one would've seen her, anyway. "Dib," she began, after she caught her breath. "Zim needs help… You have to help him!"

Dib looked at her as if she was insane. "Are you crazy?" He screamed. "Did you see the size of that thing? He's huge! Bullets don't even phase him! And he's already killed over 100 people! Besides, the military is already on the way here to take care of him. Why should I risk my life for the person I…."

Tak reached out, grabbed Dib by the collar of his trench coat, and pulled him in. With a glare, Tak stared directly at Dib. "Listen here, you spineless human," she hissed, tightening her grip on his collar. "If you don't help Zim fight for _YOUR_ planet, I swear I'll kill you where you stand."

Dib looked at her, dumbly. "But the lady on the News told everyone to stay indoors."

"For Irk's sake," Tak growled, throwing Dib to the ground. "Fine! Stay here! Do you at least have my VOOT Cruiser? So _**I **_can at least help him?"

"But I'm still working on it," Dib wined. "I've added guided missiles, a energy shield, a…"

"WHERE IS IT? I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!"

"It's in the garage," Gaz answered lazily, still playing her video game. "Dib is always in there, so the best bet is there." Satisfied with the answer, Tak ran off in the direction of the garage. Dib glared at Gaz. "Believe me, she was about to kill you," Gaz assured, not taking her eyes off the game. "And, personally, she kinda scares me."

_**Back with Zim and Gragnok….**_

"_**Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!"**_ The battle raged on between Zim and Gragnok, with Gragnok swinging his War Hammer wildly. But thanks to Zim's smaller size and mechanical legs, it was easy for him to dodge them. While this was happening, Zim was firing his Plasma Pistols, hitting Gragnok each time. But because of both the protective armor and his hard skin, the Plasma blasts did little to him, besides pissing him off more and more. _**"HOLD STILL!" **_

Gragnok swung again. But this time, Zim did a spiral roll over it, and had one of his mechanical legs smack against Gragnok's face. The blow was powerful enough to send the massive creature stumbling backwards before falling flat on his back. "Come and get me," Zim called, as he used his mechanical legs to leap onto the side of a building. As Zim started to scale the building, Gragnok leapt to his feet.

"_**GET OVER HERE!"**_ Opening his mouth, his long tongue shot out. It shot through the air, and wrapped itself around one of Zim's mechanical legs. Zim used two of his mechanical legs to hook onto the top of the building, as Gragnok proceeded to pull on his tongue. Thinking quickly, Zim took aim with his Plasma Pistol, and fired. The shot struck Gragnok's tongue. _**"OOOOWWW!"**_ The monster released his hold on Zim and recoiled his tongue, which was now so hot it was sizzling. He looked up to see Zim jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Gragnok dropped his War Hammer, and got on all fours. _**"I'm going to enjoy killing you,"**_ he hissed, before pouncing onto the side of the building, and climbing up it. When he reached the top, he saw Zim was three buildings away from him. Then he got a idea. He reached down, grabbed one of his Electro Pulse Grenades, pressed the button, and chucked it at the retreating Irken.

Zim was atop one of the biggest buildings in the city when the Pulse Grenade rolled by him. Then it detonated. An electric pulse erupted from it, rendering Zim's mechanical legs useless. When his legs lost power, they immediately folded underneath Zim's weight. He fell, but managed to grab the edge of the building. But when he was pulling himself up, a large shadow fell over him. Zim looked up, and there was Gragnok, standing over him.

"_**I've got you now," **_Gragnok snickered, with his arms folded across his chest, triumphant. _**"I admit, you were much harder to deal with than these pathetic humans… But this is where it all ends."**_ Zim was thinking of a way to get out of there, when he heard a familiar sound. It was the sound of a VOOT Cruiser. He turned his head as saw one coming straight at them. _**"What the?"**_ Gragnok growled, squinting his eyes to see what it was. And fortunately, a Electro Pulse Grenade's effect only works for so long, because all of a sudden Zim's mechanical legs came back to life.

"That's my ride," Zim shouted, as he used his spider legs to lift himself up so that he was eye level with his attacker. "But before I go, I have one this to say to you." With blinding speed, Zim's hands swiped across all of the different types of grenades Gragnok had strapped to his chest and belt, pulling all the pins and pushing all the buttons. "This is for threatening Tak," Zim hissed before jumping backwards off the building, only to be caught be Tak, who had the cockpit door opened for him. He landed right beside her, and grinned. "What took you so long?"

"Shut up, Zim," she growled, as they sped off.

"_**No… No! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" **_

_**BOOOOOOOM!**_

_**Aboard the Massive….**_

"No… It's impossible," Dr. Killek gasped, as he, his fellow scientists, and Tallest Red stood in the Massive's Laboratory, staring a the screen which was now all static. They did the same with Gragnok's suit as they did with Tak's, and had a camera in the collar of the uniform. They've been watching everything ever since Gragnok landed on Earth. And quite frankly, everyone was in shock at what they had just witnessed. "He actually managed to beat Gragnok, my _GREATEST_ experiment," Killek whispered, rubbing his eye to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "Not even Gragnok could survive all those Plasma Grenades going off at once. And even if he did, the Poisonous Gas Grenades would've done him in."

Red walked up to the monitor, and clenched his fist. "WHY WON'T HE FUCKING DIE?" He screamed, punching the screen, causing it to shatter into thousands of pieces. He then turned abruptly to Killek and pointed at him, with blood pouring out of the large cuts on his fist. "Send _**EVERYONE**_ of you _experiments _to Earth if you have to! I want that little nuisance out of my life for GOOD! You hear me?" He didn't bother waiting for an answer. Tallest Red stormed out of the lab, furious beyond belief.

_**Back on Earth….**_

"Are you sure he's dead, Zim?" Tak asked, as they neared Zim's house. "I mean, you shot him with your Plasma Pistols multiple times, and they didn't even penetrate his skin. How is he dead now?"

Zim nodded his head. "I'm sure. I recognized the grenades he had on him. Five Plasma Grenades, three Electro Pulse Grenades, and four Poisonous Gas Grenades. The Plasma Grenades alone would've done the trick, not to mention the poisonous gas. Believe me, he's dead." He was about to say more, but he started coughing violently. As they landed inside Zim's roof, he coughed up blood. '… Damnit… It wore off…' Then before he knew it, he was unconscious.

"ZIM!"

_**Sometime Later….**_

"Oh, my aching… Everything," Zim moaned as he opened his eyes.

"_See master, I TOLD you we needed to test it first,"_ came Computer's voice, as Zim sat up. _"Your little experiment wore off while you were returning home. I told you there could've been health risks and side effects. But NOOOOOOO, you just went off and…"_

"Shut up, Computer," the Irken boy snarled, as he rubbed his eyes. "If I _didn't_ use the shit, I would've been dead for sure." When he opened his eyes, he saw something he wasn't entirely expecting. He saw Gir's face, only mere centimeters away from his. Apparently, he and Mimi were built while they were away, and were waiting for them to return.

"HIYA MASTER! Your alive," Gir cried, giving Zim a strong bear hug. "I was worried you died! But the mean lady carried you in and saved you! Isn't she sweet?" Zim's eyes popped open when he heard this. He turned his attentions to Tak who was sitting beside his bed, with Mimi laying in her lap, in her cat disguise. "Yeah. She came in and _**ORDERED**_ Computer to save you!"

Zim turned to her and smiled. "Wow, that _was_ sweet of her. Thank you, Tak."

Tak, with an uncharacteristic blush on her face, turned away and huffed. "I only did it so that we would be considered even for you saving me. Now I owe you _nothing_." But, she turned back to him and sighed. "Thank you for fixing Mimi, Zim."

Zim chuckled, having finally gotten Tak to show some sort of gratification. "You're welcome, Tak." There was another long awkward silence. But then Zim looked at her with a curious expression. "So, does this mean you'll stop trying to kill me?"

"I said thank you for fixing Mimi," she growled, narrowing her eyes at Zim. "I didn't say I forgive you for ruining my career as an Invader…" Zim put his hands up, stopping her from going any further.

"Okay, okay. I get it," he said, as he reached and grabbed his crutches. "Gir, can you take Mimi and show her around the house? I think she'd like that very much." Gir was overjoyed at the suggestion. And while Tak knew her SIR unit _wouldn't_ enjoy it, she got the hidden meaning behind it. When Mimi looked up at her master, Tak nodded her head.

"YAY! Come on, Mimi! I'll show you the Scary Monkey Show," Gir cried happily, as he grabbed Mimi by the hand and dragged her to the elevator. "It should be on now!"

When Gir and Mimi were gone, Zim looked at Tak seriously, which was the first in a long time. "Tak, the Tallest know we're still alive," he began, getting a shocked expression from Tak. "I heard him mention that the Tallest sent him here to kill us. If we stay here, they'll just keep sending more and more creatures at us until we're dead." Tak looked at him, no wanting to believe it.

"H-how do they know we were alive?" She asked. "The explosion almost killed us. And from their point of view, they couldn't have known we survived. My camera was destroyed from the shockwave."

Zim hunched his shoulder. "I don't know either. But they know, and that's all that matters right now. I have a plan, though…" Tak sat down, since she had nothing. He then looked at her, with a almost hopeful look. "Do you remember Planet Mirikia?" She nodded. That was the only planet that was never conquered by the Irken Invaders. "They're at war with our people. They're the only race in the galaxy that is able to fend of the Tallest and the Irken Empire."

"What is your bloody plan, Zim," Tak sighed, getting annoyed by how long he was taking.

Zim took another deep breath. "Tak, I want you and Mimi to escape to Mirikia with me and Gir." Tak's eyes popped open when she heard Zim's master plan. Zim continued. "Listen, I know you still hate me, and I don't blame you for it. What I did to you back then was unforgivable. But Tak, the only way either of us can survive is to make it to Mirikia. Even though our race is at war with theirs, I've heard the Mirikian people are accepting of Irkens on their planet, as long as they don't have the rank of Invader. We're both considered Defectives by the Tallest, so they can't refuse us if we ask to live there…" When Tak looked away, uncertain, Zim finished. "Tak, will you come with us?"

With her arms across her chest, she looked away to think. 'What should I do? I mean, this is the one who caused me nothing but misery ever since we've met! But that is better than what I had planned…' Finally, after thinking about it for a couple of minutes, she sighed. "I'll have to make some changes to my VOOT, so it can accommodate more than one person." Zim grinned, happy that Tak accepted his offer. But when Tak noticed his expression, she narrowed her eyes. "But once we're on Mirikia, we go our separate ways… _For good_. If I killed you while on Mirikia, I would spend the rest of my life in prison. So the only way to avoid that possibility is to never see each other again." Zim's expression saddened, but he didn't object.

Zim extended his hand, wanting to shake on it. "It's a deal, Tak." Seeing the offer, Tak rolled her eyes, and shook his hand.

_**To Be Continued…..**_

HAHAHAHAHAHA! That was FUCKING sweet! HAHAHA! I loved it! Did you all enjoy the chapter as much as I did? I sure as hell hope so! Was the fight between Zim and Gragnok to your liking? I know, it was short. But it was actually longer, since they were fighting while Tak was trying to get Dib (ASSHOLE!) to help him. So yeah, there you go. And honestly, giving how deadly I had Gragnok be, that was the only real way to actually kill him. Anyway, lets get down to the good stuff. I threw in some ZATR fluff for all you fellow romantics, like me. So now Zim, Tak, Gir and Mimi are off to Mirikia, the only other planet where the Irken Empire couldn't defeat. And just so you all know, the trip isn't going to be quick, either. Is anyone getting any ideas on how all of this is going to turn out? (Snickers Evilly) So for anyone who wants to see the real fireworks, I'd keep my ears open for the next chapter. Some awesome stuff is on the way, so please keep your eyes and ears open. _**If you see any spelling or grammar mistakes, please inform me immediately so I can correct them… And be specific.**_ Hope to hear from y'all very soon with what you thought of the story so far. And remember, I accept anonymous reviews, too. Hope to hear back from you all. PEACE!


	8. Unpleasant Memories

Rating: T

Main Pairing: Zim/Tak

Author's Notes: Hello! It's me again! HAHA! This story is getting pretty serious, isn't it? I decided to make this a rated T story, with just a little bit of rated M in it. Don't worry, though. I won't go overboard with it. Just some swear words and blood. NO LEMONS! Lemons are reserved for stories rated M, so there will be absolutely NO sex scenes in this story… Sorry. I just thought I'd make all that clear before I continue. Okay, in the last chapter, you saw Zim take on Gragnok. He won, thanks to Tak showing up at the right time with her Spittle to rescue him. But now, Tallest Red is furious, and wants Zim and Tak dead ASAP. Zim has a plan, though. He, along with Tak, Gir and Mimi are going to leave Earth and escape to a planet who is at war with Irk… Planet Mirikia. How will it all go? Will they succeed? Or will the enemy catch wind of their escape and chase after them? Well, while none of those questions will be answered, I'm sure you all will enjoy this chapter! So sit back, relax, get something to snack on, and enjoy the show!

Chapter 8: Unpleasant Memories

For the rest of that day, the two got started on modifying Tak's Spittle. Since it was too small for all four of them, Zim suggested that they scrapped his VOOT, so that they could add on all it's parts to make her Spittle bigger. At first, Tak thought it was a stupid idea. But after Zim went through a couple of blueprints of both their vehicles, and explaining all the similarities between the two, she finally agreed to go with it. They both spent four straight hours tearing apart their only means of transportation. But now they had to build a brand new bigger one. But instead of coming up with a completely new and original design for their new ship, they decided to just rebuild a larger version of Tak's Spittle with parts from both.

So, they spent another five hours rebuilding a brand new Spittle. The whole time, the two didn't talk. Zim wanted to talk, but every time he would try to start a sentence, Tak would either ignore him and keep on working, or turn to him and tell him to be quiet. He knew Tak would never fully forgive him for what he did to her all those years ago. Not to mention that she found out that the Tallest betrayed her, and tried to have her killed. She was still trying to come to terms with what transpired within those few days, Zim figured. So, deciding not to keep trying to talk, he kept quite and continued working on the new escape Spittle.

Finally, after a total of nine hours of nonstop working, Zim and Tak had finished. The new Spittle was exactly what they were going for. It looked exactly like Tak's original Spittle, but it was more than twice as big. Thanks to random odds and ends Zim had at his disposal, they were able to construct a fully functional Spittle, almost three times bigger than a standard Spittle. And thanks to Computer's assistance, all of the electrical wiring and such was done in no time, saving them much needed time. Not only that, but thanks to Dib's added features, it was more dangerous than any ordinary Spittle.

"Finally," Zim sighed, as he limped to his chair and sat down, wiping the sweat and motor oil off his face and hands. He looked at Tak. She was polishing up the sides of the new Spittle, not paying Zim any mind. He frowned. "Still not feeling like talking?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes." That was all she said, as she continued shining the newly built Spittle, without even looking at him. Zim couldn't help but let out a depressed sigh. He hoped he could at least get her to carry on a conversation with him before the trip from Earth to Mirikia was through.

"Unfortunately, when your first Spittle crash landed back on Earth after you returned," Zim began, "your device that allowed you to going warp-speed malfunctioned. So that means that the trip to Mirikia will be a little longer than anticipated." When she heard this, Tak groaned and slapped herself in the forehead. "But," Zim continued, getting Tak's attention again. "Thanks to all of the modifications to this Spittle, we can go much faster than any other Spittle. And thankfully, Mirikia is considerably close to Earth. The only reason the humans haven't found it is because it is too far for their telescopes to see. So I estimate that the entire trip will take a maximum of two or three days.

Tak let out a disappointed sigh. 'Great,' she thought, turning back to the Spittle. 'Three days, trapped in the same Spittle with Zim of all people. That's just great.' But this was the only way for either of them to escape the Tallest. While she didn't like it, she couldn't betray him now. Not now, not after he saved her life, _multiple_ times. 'Well, at least I'll have Mimi to keep me sane.' Tak then turned back to Zim with a frown. "Fine, I guess I can suffer through a few days with you. But the plan is still the same," she reminded. "Once we land on Mirikia, we go our separate ways."

Zim sighed and nodded his head. "Yes, the plan is still the same, Tak," he agreed, using his crutches to stand up. "Once we make it to Mirikia, we will go our separate ways. That was the deal."

"_Master,"_ Computer piped in, when neither Zim or Tak decided to continue talking about the plan. Zim turned to Computer with a tired look. _"The human named Dib is at your front door again. But he's not shouting your name or banging on the door. What should I do?"_

"Nothing," Zim answered, making his way to the elevator. "I actually was hoping he'd stop by. I have something to talk to him about." Before leaving, he looked back at Tak. "We're almost ready to leave. So why don't you do one last safety check on the Spittle and call Gir and Mimi down. After I'm done talking to Dib, we'll leave." Tak raised an eyebrow at him, but nodded.

_**With Dib….**_

Dib stood patiently at Zim's front door. He had just heard the news say that Gragnok was dead. The army arrived, only to discover the burnt remains of the alien, atop a smoldering pile a rubble in the center of town. When Zim opened the front door, Dib took a deep breath. "I suppose you're the one who managed to kill that thing?" He asked, receiving a nod from the Irken.

"Yes," Zim answered, scratching the back of his head. "It seems the Tallest discovered that me and Tak survived their trap." Dib's arched his eyebrows. "Yeah. They implanted a bomb in Mimi, and almost killed us both. That's why I'm in this condition." Zim pointed at the scar on his eye, before pointing to his broken leg. So that's why he's like that, Dib concluded. "Anyway, I managed to kill him with his own weapons. But I fear that he wasn't the last… So me and Tak are leaving Earth, for good." Dib's mouth nearly dropped to the ground. When he was about to start up, Zim explained further. "It's the only way Tak and I can survive, Dib. If we stay on Earth, the Tallest will continue sending alien servants down here, ultimately endangering Earth. But, I have these for you."

Dib stared at Zim in curiosity as he took his PAK from his back, and reached in. He rifled around inside before pulling out a bundle of blueprints. When Zim offered them to him, Dib snatched them from the Irken, and stared at them in disbelief. They were blueprints of Irken weapons. Blueprints for Plasma Pistols, Electro Pulse Grenades, Plasma Grenades, and more. After looking through them, Dib looked up in amazement. "Y-you're giving me blueprints for Irken technology?" He asked, not believing it.

Zim smiled. "Yep. They're all yours," he answered, chuckling. "And not only that, but I'm giving you my base." Dib dropped the blueprints on the ground in complete shock. "Since I'm never coming back, I no longer have any use for it. But you can have it, if you want."

"But why?" Dib couldn't help but ask. This was too good to be true. "We've been enemies ever since we've met. All I ever cared about was exposing you for what you were to everyone. I've tried capturing you, in hopes of experimenting on you. Now, after all that, you are handing everything you have over to me? Why?"

Taking a deep breath, Zim looked at Dib with a grave expression. "Because you and your planet will need the help." Dib looked at Zim, uneasy by the answer. "If I know the Tallest like I think I do, they'll send more dangerous aliens to Earth in hopes of finding me and Tak. If you or your planet want even the slightest of chances of fighting back, you all will need my technology. Your father is a brilliant scientist, is he not?" Dib nodded. "Then he can help you make them. You'll have to substitute some of the parts to them, since some parts aren't on Earth, but you should still be able to make effective weapons."

Dib didn't know how to react. This was all too much for him to take at once. He looked at the blueprints, then to Zim's base, and looked back to Zim. "Where will you go?" He asked, with a somewhat discouraged look.

"Planet Mirikia. It's one of the few planets that were ever able to fight back against Irken invasions. But they allow Irkens to subside on their planet with them if they aren't Invaders… And since me and Tak are labeled Defectives, there is a chance that we might be able to stay there." There was a long silence between the two. Then, Zim remembered something. He reached into his back pocket, and pulled out a disc. "Here," he said, handing it to Dib. "This is a copy of Computer's personality. Just put it in, and it'll instantly upload into my base's mainframe."

"Zim! Are you two done yet?" Tak shouted from the kitchen. "Gir won't shut up about the Scary Monkey Show, and Mimi is about to kill him! Hurry up before your SIR gets destroyed a second time!"

Zim sighed. "Coming, Tak!" He looked back at Dib, with a small smile on his face. "I had fun this past year," he chuckled, "but this is where you and me must say goodbye." He reached out his hand. Hesitantly, Dib reached out and shook it. "Take care of yourself… And if anymore aliens come here, simply tell them that me and Tak went to Planet Masheth. Not Mirikia, but Planet Masheth." After ending the hand shake, Zim smiled, and placed his hand on Dib's shoulder. "Goodbye, Dib Membrane."

All of a sudden the top to Zim's house/base opened up, and out flew the large Spittle, with Tak, Gir and Mimi inside. The large cockpit opened up, with Tak behind the controls. "Are two almost down out here? Or are you wanting for the Tallest to send down _MORE_ creatures for us to fight?"

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," Zim mumbled, with his mechanical spider legs lifted him up into the cockpit. He sat down beside Tak, and retracted his legs. He looked down at Dib, and gave one last wave goodbye. "More blueprints are on the couch. Enjoy your new base, Dib! Goodbye!" Tak closed the cockpit door when Zim was finished saying goodbye.

Dib watched the Spittle turned away, and shot into the sky at high speeds. He looked up until the Spittle was 100% out of sight. He was gone. Zim the Invader, Dib's _once_ archenemy, his rival, was gone forever. He looked at _HIS_ new base, and looked up. Then, he dropped to his knees and started crying uncontrollably. "NO! ZIM, YOU SMUG BASTARD! COME BACK!"

_**With Zim, Tak, Gir and Mimi…..**_

Zim released a long, sad sigh as they exited Earth's atmosphere. He took a second to look at the inside of the Spittle he and Tak have spent nine hours building. It was pretty much precisely the same as any Spittle, except there was much more room to move around. He looked in the back and saw Gir and Mimi, with Gir talking away about how much he likes tacos, while Mimi looked at him with an annoyed look. He turned to look out the large window just in time to see that they were passing Earth's moon.

Tak typed something into the computer, sat back and sighed. "I've entered the coordinates to Mirikia," she sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "If everything goes as planned and we don't have any unseen obstacles, it'll be two days before we reach Mirikia at the speed we're going. And we've brought enough supplies to last us more than a week."

After Tak said that, Zim merely nodded his head and looked back out the window. He wasn't worried about getting there, though. He, Tak, and Computer made sure everything was done with the highest quality of materials, and made sure there was absolutely no weak points or malfunctioning in the system. He wasn't even worried about the Tallest finding out what their plan was. Even if they find out that they've escaped to Mirikia, the Tallest wouldn't be able to touch them. Irken Invaders weren't allowed on their planet, so the Tallest would be unable to "retrieve" them if wanted. No, what Zim _was_ worried was Tak, and how she was taking the whole "Tallest betraying her and trying to have her killed" thing.

So, thinking since it was going to be a long trip, he turned to her with a neutral face. "So, Tak," he began, managing to get a "I'm not interested" glance from Tak. "What do you plan on doing when we make it to Mirikia?" Tak looked at him with one eye, still keeping her head facing the front. "I mean, that's going to end up being our home. I'm probably going to see if I can put my inventing skills to good use for the Mirikians. What about you?"

Finally, Tak turned to her rival with a tired expression. "After we go our separate ways?" Zim sighed, and nodded. Tak thought about it. What would she do? What will she be allowed to do? What _could_ she do? After thinking about it, Tak answered. "Honestly, I don't know. I guess I could always try to enroll into the Mirikian Army or something. If I can't be an Invader, I might as well try and be the best as a soldier of Mirikia."

'Figured as much,' Zim thought, nodding his head to acknowledge Tak's plan was achievable. 'All she ever cared about was training to be the best.' Seeing as Tak appeared not interested in small talk, Zim kept to himself. He was hoping he could find a way to avoid a long, silent trip to Mirikia, but it seemed unavoidable. She didn't even want to be there with him in the first place. But seeing as the other choice was basically a death wish, she had little choice.

"Oh! Oh! Master! I know how to pass the time!" Zim and Tak turned when they hear Gir. He was waving his hand in the air excitedly, smiling dumbly. "Lets tell stories! I love hearing stories! Do you like stories, Mimi? Because I do!"

"… Sure Gir," Zim said, turning around in his seat. He knew saying no when Gir is excited about something would normally end with him whining nonstop until Zim broke down and gave in. This way was much easier, Zim thought. "What kinda of story do you want to hear?" Tak groaned when she heard Zim giving in to his SIR's idiotic request.

"Hmmmmmmmmmm… What kinda story?" Gir asked himself, with his hand underneath his chin. He paced back and forth across the Spittle. Zim rubbed the sides of his head, as Gir proceeded the make the, "Hmmm," sound as he thought. But finally getting an idea, Gir smiled widely. "I GOT IT! How did you and mean lady meet?" Zim's antennas stood on end when he remembered that specific occasion. He heard Tak growl in anger, for she too remembered that day.

Chuckling nervously, Zim scratched the back of his head. "Hehe… Umm… I, ah… I forgot how me and Tak met," he lied. "H-how about different story?"

Tak turned to him abruptly, with a nasty scowl on her face. "Oh? You _forgot_, did you?" She asked, standing up with her hands on her hips. Zim sank down in his seat as a cold shiver shot down his spine, for Tak's sheer scariness. "Okay then. Let me refresh your memory." She turned to Gir, who sat beside Mimi, excited that he was going to get a story after all. "I started a long time ago, when I had just arrived at the Irken Invader Training Academy…"

_**Flashback….**_

"Welcome to the Irken Invader Training Academy, trainees," started a Irken general, as he stood in the front of a classroom filled with young Irken trainees. The room was large, despite having no more than 30-40 cadets at a time. All the Smeets ( Younger Irkens ) sat in in levitating desks, somewhat intimidated by the teacher's loud and aggressive attitude. Their "teacher" wore a Irken wearing standard Invader general getup. He glared at them with common red eyes, and continued. "I am General Dlopler. If I hear any smart-assed remark or joke about the sound of my name, that unfortunate Smeet will be objected to strenuous and humiliating drills until every once of humor is sweated out of his or her puny, miserable Smeet body! Do I make myself clear?"

Everyone gulped, before nervously nodded their head. Satisfied, General Dlopler pulled out a chart and clipboard. He put on a pair of reading glasses, and cleared his throat. "When I call your name, simply raise your hand and say "here". Is that easy enough for you all?" Everyone nodded. "Alright then… Skoodge?" Dlopler proceeded to call out names. One by one, he checked them off. He squinted his eyes. "Tak?"

Tak was sitting in the front row of floating desks. She looked up at General Dlopler, with her large purple eyes and her curly antennas up. "Here!" She was the only one who didn't show any nervousness towards Dlopler, which was noticed by the general. She locked eyes with him, sending him a cocky smirk and a raised eyebrow.

'Hmm… Looks like we have ourselves a cocky Smeet here,' General Dlopler thought, checking off Tak's name from the list. 'I might end up enjoying this teaching assignment after all.' Looking at the next name on the list, the general couldn't help but let out a groan of disappointment. "Zim?" To his surprise though, there was no reply. He looked up from the list and scanned the entire classroom. Zim was nowhere to be seen. "Where is Zim?"

Everyone looked at one another with confused expressions. Everyone whispered to each other, wondering where Zim was, as well. Tak looked around, not even knowing who this "Zim" was in the first place. But she looked up, as did everyone else, when they her Dlopler clearing his throat again. "Well, since Zim apparently isn't here, I guess we should go ahead and…"

_**CRASH!**_

Without warning, a VOOT suddenly crashes through the wall of the classroom. Everyone, including General Dlopler, went diving to the ground, yelling in terror. The students began to cough from all the dust that filled the room. But eventually, the dust began to settle. General Dlopler hesitantly stood up to see who was driving. All of a sudden, the large cockpit window fell off, with a young ( And in trouble ) Zim following it.

Zim stood up, smiling oblivious while he dusted himself off. "And he told me a Smeet couldn't handle a VOOT. Ha! He obviously didn't know was I, ZIM, was capable of!" Everyone stared at Zim in sheer awe. He just _flew_ a VOOT through the wall of his classroom on his _FIRST_ day, and was acting more proud than anything. "Because soon, I will be the greatest Invader in Irken history! I, the amazing ZIM! Hahahaha!"

"**ZIIIIIIIIIM!**" Everyone turned their attention back to General Dlopler, who, despite his dark green skin, was beat red in the face with anger. But Zim merely looked back at him with a blank stare, as if he'd done nothing wrong. General Dlopler stomped up, grabbed Zim tightly by his collar, and pulled him so close that their faces were no more than a few centimeters apart. "Explain yourself **IMMEDIATELY**!"

Wiping off the spit from his face, Zim shrugged his shoulders. "I was running late. If I'd just kept on running, I'd been twice as late. I had to get here somehow."

"YOU FLEW A VOOT THROUGH MY CLASSROOM!"

"Yes," Zim agreed, "but I'm not late, am I?" A smug grin appeared on Zim's face.

General Dlopler let out a low, frustrated growl, before releasing Zim's shirt collar. "No… I suppose you aren't," he hissed, grinding his teeth. "Very well, take the empty seat next to Tak so we can begin." Zim looked to where Dlopler was pointing, and saw Tak, who was giggling at Zim and how angry he made the teacher. But, not caring what Tak thought ( At the time ) Zim walked up, and took the empty seat next to her.

"Okay class," Dlopler continued, after taking multiple beep breaths to calm himself. "Since the students around you are going to soon be your comrades in battle, I am told you are to get to know each other… While I think it's stupid," he said, whispering the last part to himself. "So exchange names, and sit back down."

As everyone turned awkwardly towards each other, they slowly, but surely, started exchanging names. Zim, for reasons unknown, decided to stay in his seat, with his hand holding his head up. It was only the first day, and Zim was already starting to show signs of being a slacker. But, still somewhat impressed by his entrance, Tak stood up from her seat, and extended her hand to Zim.

"That was some introduction," she snickered, loud enough for Dlopler to hear. Said general took his head off his desk and sent Tak a stern glare. But since he didn't scare her, Tak turned back to Zim. "Anyway, I'm Tak. I look forward to working beside you."

But, Zim merely turned to her with a blank stare. He looked at her extended hand, before looking back to her. Then… He started cackling evilly. "Hahahahahaa! ZIM needs no assistance for the likes of you, _Tak_," he laughed, smacking her hand away. "I am destined to be the mightiest Invader to ever leave Irk! And the greatest doesn't need help getting there. But thanks anyway… NOT! Hahahahaa!"

Tak stood there, furious from what she had just heard. Some of the other Smeets were snickering and giggling quietly at Zim's bold and insulting statement. Even Dlopler, who hated Zim, also concealed his laugher. Embarrassed, Tak went back to her seat and sat down, with a frustrated blush. "Little creep," she mumbled to herself, as the others followed her example and took their seats.

"By the way, what in the name of Irk is attached to your head?" Zim continued, pointing at the weird device attached to the left side of her forehead. "Is that because you're deficient or something?"

Tak, grinding her teeth, turned to Zim with a scowl. "No… It's because I…"

"I think it's because you're deficient," Zim interrupted, folding his arms across his chest, thinking he'd figured it out. "Aw well. I guess we all can't be gifted, can we? I mean, can you…"

"THAT'S IT!" Jumping atop her desk, Tak leapt off and _TACKLED_ Zim to the ground. Everyone burst into laughter as Zim and Tak proceeded to roll across the ground, refusing to let the other to pin them down. General Dlopler sat with his feet on his desk, laughing to himself.

"I guess I was wrong. Maybe having Zim in my class _won't_ be as bad as I thought it would be," he chuckled, not feeling like breaking up the fight just yet.

_**End Flashback….**_

"And that was how we first met," Tak huffed, sitting back down in her chair facing out the large cockpit window. Zim continued to sink into his seat, feeling guilty. "One of the only few times I showed another Irken respect and your _master_ threw it back in my face, laughed at me, and called me "deficient" in front of the entire class the first day at the academy. We've been enemies ever since. The end."

Zim chuckled nervously. "Umm… Yeah, that sounds about right… Sorry, by the way," he apologized, fiddling with his fingers timidly. "I, umm… Well, you know… Umm…"

"Stow it, you asshole," Tak growled, not even bothering to look at him. "That was only the _beginning _of your selfish, heartless, idiotic, senseless rampage when we were at the Invader Academy. Do you remember when we were our class visited Hobo 13, and you convinced the Commander _**I**_ was the one who broke all the training equipment?"

"YAY! ANOTHER STORY!" Gir cried.

_**To Be Continued….**_

HAHAHAHA! How was that? Wasn't that funny? I swear, I loved the little flashback of when Zim and Tak first met. I tell ya, that was extremely fun writing. Did you all like it when Dib started crying when Zim and the gang left. Kinda sad, huh? After all that time fighting one another, Dib developed some sort of weird almost friendship with him… And now that he's gone, what is Dib to do? But don't worry, we haven't heard the last from everyone's favorite psychotic child. So, now Zim, Tak, Gir and Mimi are on their way to Mirikia. The trip had only just started, and we've already found out that it isn't going to be a short trip… As in the two days will feel like two _WEEKS_ after they've finally touched down on their new home. How will the next chapter be, you ask? How could I possibly top this one, you may think? Well, I'm going to tell you now that the next chapter is the chapter all you ZATR ( Zim and Tak Romance ) fans have been waiting for. SPOILER ALERT! Ha! But it won't be easy. And I've also decided after I'm done with the next chapter, I've got to update my other stories. My Naruto, Deadpool, and Teen Titans fans are dying for my return to the scene. And I can't neglect them. _**Again! If you see any spelling or grammar mistakes, please inform me immediately, so I can correct them **__**ASAP!**_ Don't forget to leave plenty of reviews. I hope to hear from y'all soon. PEACE! Mr. Alaska OUT!


	9. I Forgive You, Zim

Rating: T

Main Pairing: Zim/Tak

Author's Notes: HAHAHAHAHAHA! Hello, all you Invader Zim fans out there! It's Mr. Alaska again, with yet another update to all of everyone's favorite ZATR story… WOOHOO! WE JUST HIT 100 REVIEWS! LET'S PARTY! I'LL BRING THE BEER! HAHAHA! Awesomeness! This is simply awesome! The story is getting good, isn't it? Zim, Tak, Gir and Mimi leaving Earth, and leaving poor, lonely Dib behind to help protect Earth… Heavy sh**, isn't it? And right off the bad, Tak ended up taking a trip down memory lane with Zim. You've learned how these two "enemies" met one another, with the cause of the animosity being, who guessed it, Zim… Not that surprising, right? But enough about that, I know what you all are waiting for. I mentioned that this chapter will be the last for a little bit, since I've got other stories waiting to be updated. But don't worry. I'll make it so this chapter will hold _ALL OF YOU _over until I get back. _**WARNING: Chapter contains mushy, sensitive, family bonding moment!**_ I've decided to shine a little light on Dib's personal life with his father. So please take a seat, relax, stretch out, grab something to munch on, and enjoy this awesome ride! 3... 2... 1... **ACTION!**

Chapter 9: I Forgive You, Zim

It has been a whole day since Zim, Tak, Gir and Mimi left Earth to escape to Mirikia. People slowly started returning to town once the news of Gragnok's death went public. The army took the body to Area 51 for research, although they didn't say that to the public. They came up with some lame excuse about burning the remains of the alien. But, as predicted, everyone bought it. Well, everyone but Dib, that is. Dib laid on his couch staring straight up at the ceiling, which was the sign that he was either depressed or thinking about stuff very hard… But in this case, it was for both those reasons. Gaz, who didn't really care much about Zim and the others leaving, merely sat in front of the television, playing more video games.

"… He's gone," Dib moaned, reaching for the box of tissues on the floor beside the couch. Gaz, knowing that she would be forced to talk to him, put her game on pause and turned to him. "Zim is really gone," he continued, pulling out a tissue and blowing his nose. "I don't know why, but I can't stop feeling terrible about him leaving. I mean, we've been at each other's throats for the whole year he was on Earth. We've tried destroying each other and even tried performing experiments on each other. But now that he's gone… I just… WAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Dib didn't have what it took to complete that sentence. Without warning, he started crying his eyes out.

Gaz let out a long, tired sigh at her older brother's condition. He's been like this ever since they left the day before. When he wasn't staring blankly up at the ceiling, he was crying hysterically. And after a whole day of it, Gaz was getting tired of it. "Dib, for someone as "_smart_" as you, you should know what's going on." Dib stopped blowing his nose to glace at his sister with tear filled eyes. When it was clear he was listening, she continued. "Look… I know it's weird even by your twisted little world, but it's obvious that you two developed some weird sort of friendship. Even though you've been a complete paranoid, stalking, obsessive creeper the past year, he forgave you. And not only that, but he even gave you **EVERYTHING **he ever owned… What does that tell you?"

Feeling like she'd just said it all, Gaz turned back to her game and pressed "Start" on her controller. Dib looked at her as if she was crazy. But then he got to thinking about it. Was she crazy? Did he somehow develope a little respect for the one he's been trying to capture? How could it be?

All of a sudden, the front door to their house was kicked down. "Kids! I'm home," came their dad's usual dramatic voice, before he rolled inside as if he was some sort of commando. He stood in front of the television, causing Gaz to groan and press "Pause" again. "Oh thank God you two are okay," he cried, picking Gaz up and pulling her in close for a hug. "Once I heard there was a blood-thirsty alien rampaging through town, I dropped everything I was doing and rushed here as fast as I could." He continued to hug Gaz until she finally gave in and gave a little hug back. Putting Gaz back on the ground, he looked down to his son. "I hope you took care of things while I was off on business. Are all the chores done?" He asked, with an arched eyebrow visible over the goggles he wore.

Dib, managing to straighten himself up before his father saw him, nodded. "Yes, Dad. I even took Gaz to Bloaty's for lunch like you asked."

His father nodded his head, pleased to hear everything he requested was done. But he was about to turn back to his daughter when he looked into his son's eyes. They were shiny, watery, and a little red. He looked down by the couch, and noticed the half empty box of tissues. "What ever is the matter, my son?" Professor Membrane asked, fearing something terrible happened.

Dib looked down at the floor, not knowing what to say. He wasn't used to his father asking how he was. His father gave Gaz most of the attention out of the two of them. But, after deciding on what to say, he looked up. "Do you remember all those people who were killed?"

'Ooh… This isn't going to be good,' Professor Membrane thought, nodding his head. "Yes. The death toll was precisely 137, if I remember right. Why?"

"Well," Dig replied, scratching the back of his head. "My _friend_ Zim was among the ones who were killed." The well known scientist's eyes snapped open when he heard the sad news. His little green foreign friend, he thought. "Yeah," he continued, letting out a depressed sigh. "He was crushed underneath a car the alien threw. It was only right before the army came and killed it… So Zim was the last victim." He felt like he was going to start crying again. But not because of the lie he was telling his father. It was because Zim might as well be dead, since he's never going to see him again.

At first, his father said nothing. He simply stood towering over his upset son, looking down at him with an unreadable expression. But after a few seconds, Professor Membrane knelt down on one knee, and did something he never did before. He reached out, grabbed his son, and pulled him in for a hug, just like his sister. "I'm sorry to hear that, Dib," he said, as Dib awkwardly hugged back, since this was kinda new to him. "I knew Zim was the only friend you were able to get," he continued, tightening the hug. "I wish I was around when the monster attacked… My weapons I've been experimenting with could've stopped him before any innocent lives could be lost. But I was in Japan, and didn't hear anything about this whole tragedy until hours ago."

To be completely honest, Professor Membrane was new at this, too. He was used to showing affection to Gaz. Ever since their mother died, he noticed that as she was growing up, Gaz bore a strong resemblance to his late wife. But at the same time, he started neglecting Dib to a certain extent. As they grew up, Gaz slowly started turning into a brat ( No Offence, Gaz Fans ) and Dib started taking after his father. But no matter how hard he tried, Dib only ended up causing trouble with his failed experiments, which, by this time, was the only way to get his father to acknowledge him.

But now, Professor Membrane was faced with a child who actually _needed_ his attention. Gaz was a strong girl, he figured that out a while back. And he knew Dib was strong, as well. But because of his time consuming job, Dib was in charge of looking after his sister while he was gone. And usually, Gaz would inform him about some dangerous experiment he tried while he was gone. And, as usual, he would scold Dib for it. But now, something terrible as occurred in his son's life, which he, personally, didn't know all too much about. All he knew was that Dib's only friend, to his knowledge, was dead. So now, Dib was the one that needed him.

Dib hugged back, finally finding it to be comforting. "Thanks Dad," Dib said, wiping his tears on his father's lab coat. Gaz watched this happen, and for once, didn't roll her eyes or scuff at such a scene. But then, Dib remembered something. "Dad?" Professor Membrane looked down. "Can you help me with these new designs I've been working on? I know you've been too busy lately, but could you at least look at them?"

"… Sure son," his father answered, standing back up. "I have to go visit Area 51 tomorrow, though. They said they want my expertise to analyze the alien's corpse. But I guess I can take a look over them."

_**Meanwhile, Back with Zim, Tak, Gir and Mimi….**_

"And then, there was the time you tampered with my Plasma Rifle during target practice, which caused it to malfunction and ended up taking the tips of General Dlopler's antennas off." It has been over a day out in space, and Tak was _still _listing all the moments in her life than Zim made miserable. ( DAMN ZIM! A whole day telling stories about how much you made Tak miserable? Dude, you were a total prick when you were younger! ) Zim, feeling crappier and crappier after every story, glanced over at Gir and Mimi. They both were sleeping. Gir laid flat on his back, with Mimi snuggled on his chest. And while Zim thought it was a cute scene, he turned his attention back to Tak. She knew Gir was asleep, even though this all got started because he wanted a story to pass the time. Now, Tak was talking directly at him.

Since Zim was still too nervous to say anything, Tak continued. "Oh. And don't think I forgot about your stunt BEFORE you caused the power outage," she growled, standing up and poking Zim square in the chest. "Aside from ruining my career as an Invader, that day was the worst day of my entire life!"

_**Flashback….**_

It was the day before the big Irken Invader Qualifying Exam, and Tak was more excited than she had ever been before in her life. She stood in her assigned barracks, wearing her unique purple Irken uniform. She has been looking forward to passing the Irken Invader Qualifying Exam ever since she was a Smeet. Surprisingly, only a few number of her fellow Invader trainees were as excited as Tak for becoming an Invader. She had been striding to surpass every other Irken before her ever since the first day, and succeeded. Every record that has been charted during training exercises have been broken by her.

"Tomorrow is the day," she said to herself, looking at herself in the mirror. "All these years I've sweated, bled, and worked away will finally pay off tomorrow. No more being around these pathetic excuses of trainees, no more listening to General Dlopler's boring lectures, no more meaningless drills, no more listening to what I already know… And best of all," she hissed, clenching her fists, "no more Zim!"

Zim and Tak, ever since they've met, have been mortal enemies. They've been clashing against one another at practically everything since they started training together. They hated each other. Whenever one scored high marks on **ANY** subject, the other would do everything they could to beat it. Thinking about all the times he'd humiliated her in front of all her classmates, she uncontrollably lashed out and shattered the mirror. Everything about him filled her with rage. His smug attitude, his careless actions, his oblivious nature, everything! He was too oblivious to realize he wasn't the best Irken on the planet.

Hearing the sound of something breaking , and not from _HIS_ doings, Zim looked in on the scene. He was, coincidentally, walking by Tak's barracks when he heard the mirror shatter. He looked in, saw the broken mirror, and smiled wickedly. "I know you're uglier than most Irkens Tak, but what did the mirror ever do to you?" Tak turned when she heard Zim's insult, and narrowed her eyes. Zim leaned up against the doorway, with his arms folded across his chest, and a smug smirk on his face.

"…" Tak didn't respond to his insult. She merely stood in front of her broken mirror, clenching her fists. She looked at him, and grinded her teeth. Tak hated that smug look Zim had. Whatever he said and did was with that cocky grin, thinking he was better than everyone else. But, Tak smiled devilishly, and placed her hand by her antenna. "Wh-what? I'm sorry. You're so short that I think you need to shout so anyone can hear." The cocky grin disappeared from Zim's face, and was replaced with a irritated frown. He **HATES** it when anyone makes fun of his surprisingly short stature. And while most Irkens don't bother with bringing it up, Tak pretty much abuses it. Smirking, Tak walked up right in front of Zim, forcing him to look up to lock eyes with her. "Aww… Did I make the _wittle_ baby _angwy_?" Tak asked, as she reached down and pinched Zim's cheek.

Zim blushed in both irritation and embarrassment. "Stop that," Zim growled, swatting Tak's fingers from off his cheeks. But seeing the embarrassed expression on her enemy's face, Tak continued to look down at him with a smug smile, with her hands now on her hips. "I may be short, but I'm still twice the Invader you'll ever be, Tak," he hissed, looking down to the ground with the blush still present on his face.

Tak snorted with laughter. "Yeah right. You only barely managed to pass all your classes up till now." Of course, she knew that was a lie. Tak would never admit it to him, but even though she was among the best candidates for becoming an Invader, Zim was right behind her. He was almost as good as she was. But, of course, she'd never tell him that. "But the Irken Invader Qualifying Exam is the thing that counts. Screw up, and you're done. I, of course, have no doubt I'll manage just fine. It's _you_ who might need the luck."

"I don't need any luck," Zim grumbled, waving off the suggestion. "I am ZIM! While you somehow managed to do better than me in _some _categories, it doesn't matter. By tomorrow, I'll be an Invader. As for you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow and pointing at Tak. "Honestly, I'd be surprised if you qualify to be my personal servant drone."

"Get out…" Tak's smug smile turned into a tired frown. She pointed to her door, and growled at Zim. "I have an exam to prepare for. And if you don't mind, I'd like to do that in private." Zim smiled triumphantly, thinking that her request for him to leave was a sign of defeat. So, without saying anything else, Zim put his hands into his pocket and walked out, whistling.

'That smug, arrogant, cocky, irritating, short, overconfident, oblivious, disrespecting jerk,' Tak screamed in her head, turning back to the shattered pieces of glass on the floor. 'Thinking he's better than everyone else. _"Honestly, I'd be surprised if you qualify to be my personal servant drone." _As if that'll ever happen!' She bent down and started picking up shards of glass. But she stopped when she picked up a large piece. Letting out a sigh, Tak looked down into her reflection.

She was thinking about what Zim said… About her being ugly. Little did anyone know, but Tak, despite her vicious attitude, was self-conscious about her appearance. She rubbed the metal device attached to head. Then, she looked at her uncommon purple eyes. To her knowledge, only Tallest Purple had purple eyes. She took a long look at herself, before…

"**I HATE HIM!"** Suddenly, Tak chucked the large piece of glass at the wall, shattering it into even smaller pieces. She bit the bottom of her lip, furious. "That creep doesn't know what he's talking about… I'm not ugly." Her whole body was shaking with anger. Her hands were by her side, clenched so tight that if there was a bone in her grasp, it would've snapped in half. But, without any resistance, a single teardrop rolled down her face, causing the skin it touched to sizzle. Wiping the tears that were forming in her eyes, she took a seat on her bed. 'Why can't I control my emotions? If anyone ever saw me cry, I'd be a laughing stock.'

But, after wiping the last of the tears from her eyes, she started hearing giggling and laughing coming from outside her barracks. '… No…' She thought, jumping up from the bed and dashing to her opened door. When she looked out, she saw all of her fellow Invader trainees gathered around in a tight circle. When Tak stepped out of her barracks, everyone scattered, leaving only Zim, holding a little video monitor. "What were you all laughing at?" Tak asked, cracking her knuckles.

Zim stood there with a proud smile on his face. Without saying anything, he handed Tak the monitor he was holding. She snatched it from him, looked at it, and gasped. The monitor showed her room. She ran into her room, and looked in. There, she noticed there was a little video camera on her nightstand. "While you were pinching my cheek," Zim began, with a wide devilish grin, "I took the opportunity to try out my newest invention. It's a little robotic camera. It snuck in while we were fighting, and perched on your nightstand."

He looked at Tak. She was still standing in her doorway, shaking. So, he decided to continue. "Wow, I had no idea you were so _sensitive _about your looks, Tak," Zim chuckled, relishing in the feeling of superiority. "I thought Irkens weren't supposed to have feelings. Isn't that how it goes? Invaders shouldn't have emotions?" He started asking questions he already knew the answers to. "In fact, if a Irken Invader _does_ have emotions, they'd be considered Defectiv…"

"**I'LL KILL YOU!**" Before he could finish, Tak turned back to Zim with rage filled eyes, charged, and tackled him. Tak started unleashing a furious barrage of punches, all directed to Zim's face. Tears were pouring down her face. "You little jerk! You ruined my reputation," she screamed, as she refused to seize her assault on Zim's face. After a minute of merciless beating, she stopped, grabbed Zim by his throat, and lifted him into the air. Blood was dripping down the side of Zim's mouth, and one eye was swollen over. But even though he had a black eye, cuts and bruises on his face, Zim still had on his signature smug smirk. Tak narrowed her eyes up at him, with tears rolling down her face, burning her in the process. "Why?" She asked, pulling her fist back, ready to punch again.

"Because it was funny," Zim answered, letting out a evil chuckle. "What can I say? Making you cry was just another one of my challenges… Which I, not surprisingly, accomplished without a hitch."

_POW!_

Tak's fist smacked against Zim's face, sending him flying backwards into a nearby bush. He quickly jumped back onto his feet, and looked up just in time to see Tak run back into her barracks, sobbing. "Hehehee," Zim snickered, massaging his sore jaw. "That was totally worth it."

_**End Flashback….**_

"That was the most humiliating day of my entire life," Tak hissed, walking up and standing directly in front of Zim. He was scratching the back of his neck and looking down, not wanting to look up. "I was laughed at and mocked the rest of the day," she continued, clenching her fists in anger at the memory. "I couldn't go anywhere without hearing people snickering and giggling about "the news" about me. Everywhere I went I heard, "Look. It's Miss Tears," and, "You think she'd cry if I called her ugly," from someone… I was determined to pass the exams, just to stop the giggling and mocking _**YOU**_ caused. But after you caused the power outage, I was sent to Planet Dirt, where the humiliation only intensified. And it was all because of you."

Because he refused to look up, she reached down, grabbed Zim by the collar of his shirt, and lifted him up. She looked up with pure hatred filled eyes meeting his unreadable eyes. They stared at each other for a good 30 seconds, when Tak threw him back into his chair. "The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because this is the only way I can survive," she continued, slowly turning and sitting down in her seat. "Because of you, the Tallest are convinced I'm a Defective and tried to have me killed. Because of you, everything I worked so hard for was taken from me… *Sniff*" Tak was facing away, not wanting Zim to see her cry again. She placed her hand over her mouth, so in case she started crying, she could muffle it.

Zim watched as Tak started breaking down right before his eyes. He felt horrible. Everything was taken from her. And to make things worse, she lost everything because of him. Her dreams of becoming an Invader was smashed because of him. "… Tak," Zim sighed, using his crutches to lift himself up. She didn't look back at him. She was too busy crying into her hands. "I don't know what I can possibly do to repay you for all I've done," he continued, limping his way over to her. She was listening, but nothing seemed to be able to stop her crying. "I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am for what I've taken away from you. You deserved better." He reached out, and placed his hand on her shoulder. She flinched when she felt his hand resting on her shoulder, but for some unknown reasons, she didn't pull away. And, when it seemed that she wasn't going to start shouting at him, Zim continued. "I know that no matter how many times I apologize, it will never make up for what I've done. So if you truly want to go separate ways when we reach Mirikia, I understand."

Zim limped back to his seat, having nothing more to say. He was waiting for some sort of response from Tak, but it never came. He kept on hearing her cry into her arms, which she had propped on her knees. Zim looked over at Gir and Mimi. Surprisingly, the two SIR units were still fast asleep, with Mimi still cuddling into Gir's chest. 'And we still have one more day of this, too,' Zim thought, leaning back in his chair.

"Psst… Master." Zim's antennas sprung up when he heard Gir's whisper. He looked over to see Gir, looking back at him with one eye open. He woke up just before Tak started telling the story about what Zim did to her before the Exam. Curious, Zim looked at Tak. She didn't hear Gir, since she was still trying to get control over herself. So, quietly, Zim stood up and limped over to him, with one antenna raised. "I think you should kiss her," he whispered, getting a startled expression from Zim.

"Gir… That won't work," Zim whispered back. "Why do you think me kissing her will make _anything_ better?"

With a sly smile, Gir looked at Mimi, and back up to Zim. "I heard that kissing makes everything better… If it works, Tak won't feel sad anymore." Zim's eyes snapped open when he heard Gir called Tak by her actual name, instead of "mean girl". He looked back at her to see if she was doing any better. But sadly, he couldn't tell. While he couldn't hear her crying anymore, that could just mean she was quietly sobbing, and he just couldn't hear her. "Come on, master," Gir insisted,"I saw it on TV a lot, and it works every time."

Zim didn't bother pointing out that most of the things Gir sees on TV isn't true. He tried explaining that time and time again to him already, but it never sticks. But after thinking about it, it could go either two ways. One, it completely fix everything. And while he didn't exactly know how it would, he figured if anything could work, it might be this. But if it didn't… Zim shuttered, not wanting to think about what could happen if it didn't work. 'I must be crazy if I'm listening to Gir.'

Letting out a long, nervous sigh, Zim stood up. He turned, took a couple of deep breaths, and proceeded to limp his way over to Tak's chair. 'Okay… Just stay calm,' He thought to himself. 'All I have to do is kiss her. That's all. And from what Gir tells me, it apparently works somehow. All I have to do is k…' After running the scenario through his mind, he stopped. He never kissed anyone before. Sure, he _saw_ civilian Irkens kiss before, but he used to always think it was vile and disgusting. But now… He didn't know _WHAT _to think of it.

"Tak!" Fearing that he was going to chicken out any moment, he forced himself to bark out her name. hearing her name, Tak turned back to Zim was watery eyes. The look she sent him wasn't a glare, surprisingly. It was merely a tired, emotionless stare.

"What do you want now, Zim?" She asked, in a voice that was a little louder than a whisper. "You going to say you're sorry again, and how much you want to make it up to me? Or are you going to bring up the fact that since we're both "Defectives" we should try to get along?" Zim sighed, and decided to pull his chair up closer to hers. After sniffing and wiping her eyes, Tak continued. "Listen Zim, I hate everything about you. You ruined my life. All you ever did was humiliate me. All I ever wanted was to…"

Tak stopped when she noticed was looking down at the ground, shaking. His hands were gripping the arms to the chair. And before she knew it, she heard a *Sniff* escape from his nose. Then, a tear fell from Zim's eye, and landed on his lap. It was then she realized that Zim was crying. As she witnessed teardrops fall from his eyes, she couldn't help but feel… _Strange_. This was something she would've normally found amusing or satisfying. After all the times he made _her_ cry, this should've been a happy moment for her.

'Why is _HE_ crying?' Tak thought, rubbing her chin. Zim continued to silently shed tears for no apparent reason, without looking anywhere but down. 'I'm the one who is hurting here. What's his excuse?' Tak continued to watch, baffled at what she was seeing. Zim raised his good leg up into his chair and rested his forehead on it, taking a few shallow breaths. Feeling curious, Tak sighed. "What's your problem?" She asked, sounding rather rude. "If you're trying to get me to feel sorry for ya, you can stop r…"

"I'm not crying for your sympathy, Tak," Zim choked, interrupting Tak's accusation. "I'm crying because I feel terrible."

"What are you talking about?" Tak asked, with one eyebrow raised.

"I mean I'm crying because I feel terrible about all I've done to you," he specified, almost shouting it out at her. Tak just looked at him with a blank stare, wanting him to continue. "All the time in the Training Academy, all I ever really cared about was becoming a Invader and making you miserable. The fact that you remembered them so well tells me how much they effected you. And now that I lost the desire to become a Invader, I've become a different Irken." This wasn't news to Tak. Ever since she returned, the dramatic change in Zim's personality was noticed. But in all her life, this was the first time she actually saw him cry. But, she kept a neutral expression as he proceeded. "I'm no longer constantly angry," he continued, wiping the last of the tears from his eyes. "I'm no longer arrogant or oblivious. After I figured out the truth about my "mission" all I had left was Gir."

Taking a second to get control of himself, Zim took a few more deep breaths. After that, he looked back up at Tak. She was sitting cross-legged on her chair, no longer trying to continue her "I don't care" act. "Tak, I know I've said this before, but you and I _are_ the same. But not just in the fact that the Tallest tried to have us both killed, or the fact that we're considered "Defectives" by the whole Irken Empire. It's because we're both suffering." Finally, a small smile appeared on Zim's face.

Now, for reasons she couldn't understand, a strange warm sensation took over her cheeks when she saw him smile at her like that. "Tak," he whispered, reaching out and gently resting his hand against the side of her face. She was tempted to lash out and punch Zim in the face for what he was doing. But again, for reasons unknown to her, her body wouldn't respond. "Do you remember all the times I called you ugly?" Still blushing, Tak slowly nodded her head, causing Zim's hand to gently rub up against her cheek. "Well, I was lying." Without warning, Zim's hand reached out further and grabbed Tak from behind her neck. A blush suddenly started showing on Zim's face as the blush on Tak's face intensified. Slowly, Zim started pulling her closer to him, while he steadily started leaning forward. As a last attempt to resist what he was planning on doing, Tak placed her hands on Zim's chest. But it didn't help. Her strength was somehow drained from her, resulting in her arms merely bending when Zim pulled. Gir opened his eyes at just the right time.

Because when he opened his eyes, he witnessed Zim pulling Tak in for a kiss.

_**Back on Earth….**_

"Dib… These blueprints are amazing," Professor Membrane gasped, as he looked through all of the Irken blueprints Zim gave Dib before he left. His father was expecting a poorly laid out blueprint like all the other ones. But these were on a whole different level than those ones. Thankfully, Dib changed the blueprints in a way that they would appear human. Replacing alien names and parts with actual human-made parts. Dib sat across the table, looking a little happier. "Dib," Professor Membrane continued, adjusting his glasses. "How on Earth did you ever come up with these plans? These are nothing like your previous ones."

Dib looked up at his father, and sighed. "Well, to be honest, it wasn't just me who thought these up," he said, making it sound like a confession. "I had a lot of help from Zim…" Dib paused when he mentioned the Irken's name. When his father raised a eyebrow, he continued. "You see, Zim was always thinking that one day, aliens would come and attack Earth. And since he liked inventing stuffas much as I do, he suggested we worked together on some weapon ideas. But because some of the materials required to build them were out of our reach at the time, we were never really able to create any of them."

Professor Membrane looked over all the blueprints once more, before looking back at his son. He was, needless to say, beyond impressed by what his son and friend managed to think up. The blueprints in his hands looked as if they were thought up by military scientists in Area 51. "Son, these designs are simply astonishing. I had no idea you and Zim were so brilliant when working together." He stopped when he mentioned Dib's friend. The fact that they designed the weapons in case of what aliens ever did attack Earth was saddening, giving the fact that Zim was _killed_ the day before because of that very reason. But suddenly, Professor Membrane shot up from his chair, right after getting a idea to help Dib. "I'll tell you what," he said, stacking the blueprints into a neat pile, "when I go to Area 51 tomorrow, I'll hand these blueprints over to my fellow scientists. And, to be safe, I'll claim _I _was the one who came up with the designs." Dib arched an eyebrow, confused at his father's reasoning. "I doubt they'll take these ideas seriously if I tell them a couple of boys thought them up. But, if and when the first completed products are done, I'll try my best to make sure _YOU _receive them."

"Wow! Really?" Dib asked, standing up in his chair in excitement. His father smiled and nodded.

"Of course," Professor Membrane assured, tucking the blueprints into his lab coat. "After all, you and Zim were the ones who made the blueprints. And sadly, since you friend is no longer with us, you are the one who will get them." He paused, took a deep breath, and continued. "It appears you were right all along, son. It seems that we were being targeted by aliens. If only I've listened to you, all of this could've been avoided… I'm sorry."

Dib sat back down and let out a heavy sigh. "It's okay, dad. We can't change the past… But now, if we're ever attacked by aliens again, we might be able to fight back." Nodding his head, Dib's father turned and left the kitchen. Dib sighed again, and looked out the window. He stared up into the sky, thinking to himself. 'Thanks Zim,' he thought, taking a sip of his coffee. 'I hope we meet again someday, so I can thank you in person.'

_**Back with Zim, Tak, Gir and Mimi….**_

When Zim's lips pressed against hers, Tak's mind went completely blank. Her whole body began to tremble uncontrollably, powerless against Zim's hold on her. What was happening had Tak incapable of giving her body even the most simplest of commands. All she was able to do was allow Zim to continue kissing her. The kiss itself was soft, starting as merely a quick peck. But when Zim took it further and actually pressed his mouth against hers, the feeling was too good for words.

Forgetting about how much she hated him, how much pain and misery he caused her and how she wanted nothing to do with him, she found herself actually drifting _into_ the kiss, instead of away from it. Her eyes, which were as wide as they could be from initial shock, slowly fluttered shut. Then when she finally started to get control over her body, Tak slowly slid her arms up and wrapped them around Zim's neck.

Zim took his hands from behind Tak's neck, and wrapped his arms around her waist. 'I can't believe it,' Zim thought, as he and Tak continued to kiss. 'Gir was actually right for once.' The kiss lasted for about two full minutes before the two slowly separated, both with their eyes half opened. They looked at each other, noticing both were blushing like crazy. Tak was breathing heavily and shaking like a leaf by the time the kiss was over. They still had their arms wrapped around the other, still in a state of bliss from the long kiss. "Tak," Zim whispered, finally breaking the silence between them. "I-I just…" Zim was having trouble speaking. He was still trying to get over what had just happened between him and Tak.

But before he could compose a complete sentence, Tak started. "Z-Zim," she whispered back, "I-I don't kn-know what to say… Y-you can't p-possibly love me a-after all that happened between us… I-I'm not even sure I-I can."

Zim tightened his hold on her waist. "You don't have to be sure," he answered, pulling her a little closer towards him. "I'm not sure what will happen either, Tak. But what is clear is that, despite all we've been through, despite the fact that you've tried killing me… I don't hate you. It seems almost impossible for me to hate you now." Tears started forming in Tak's eyes when she heard this. But even though he didn't _want_ to make her cry, he still had more to say. "Tak," he continued, holding back tears of his own, "I don't want to go separate ways when we land on Mirikia. I'm sorry for everything I've ever did to you. I want to try to make up for all the suffering I caused you… Please Tak."

After hearing all of that, Tak found herself biting down on her bottom lip, trying her hardest not to start crying again. Everything she was hearing was breaking her heart. She hated the Zim who made her life a living Hell. She hated the Zim who did everything he could to make her feel bad. She hated the Zim who took great pleasure in making her cry. But now, she finally realized it. This _WASN'T_ the Zim she hated so much. The Irken boy she had just shared her first kiss with was, in fact, a whole different Irken entirely. The Zim she remembered was a cruel, uncaring, sadistic, evil little monster who never showed a shred of concern for anyone else but himself. The Zim she was holding on to was the complete opposite. The Zim she was hugging was begging for forgiveness, and openly crying in remorse for all the wrong he had ever done onto her. It wasn't until now that she finally that the Zim she wanted dead _WAS_ dead. Now, all that remained was this new Zim, crying for her and wanting to be with her. The Zim she knew was long gone. Now she was dealing with the new and improved Zim. One that was showing her the attention she had been craving all her entire life, but never got. One that had somehow, in one foul swope, took all her anger and suffering away...

So Tak simply stared at him, not knowing what to do. While physically, this Zim was responsible for ruining her chances of becoming an Invader. But Tak could see, only now, that that was no longer the main issue. The Zim sitting before her, crying in front of her, begging for forgiveness was not who she wanted to die a horrible death. It was the Zim back at Academy, and the Zim who sent her drifting into space, who she wanted to kill. But if that was the case, what was she to do now? Looking for some sort of answer, Tak looked around the Spittle, thinking. Then, she finally noticed Mimi was sleeping atop Zim's SIR unit, looking unusually content being cuddled up to him. What happened with her, Tak wondered. Mimi hated Gir not more that a few hours earlier. And if she remembered correctly, it was _GIR_ who fell alseep first.

Then, she looked back at Zim. He was still looking straight into her eyes, with his eyes filled with both tears and hope. Zim really _wanted_ her to stay with her, she realized. He wanted her to stay with him, even thought she had practically devoted her life to killing him. After all that, Zim wanted her, unconditionally...

All of a sudden, a whole new feeling washed over Tak. She took her arms out from behind Zim's neck, and placed both hands over her heart. It was beating, faster and harder than ever before. It was almost two beats for every second, it was going so fast. Then, almost as if it was a pile of bricks, it struck her... She was experiencing the number one emotion that she was taught not only to hide, but to not even have at all. After hearing Zim cry his eyes out over what he had done to her in the past, after hearing him beg for her forgiveness, and claim to do whatever he could to make everything better. After all of that, it was clear to Tak what she was feeling...

Love.

After Tak realized that, she looked straight into Zim's watery red eyes, and made her decision. Slowly, her unsure frown morphed into a warm, caring smile. "I forgive you, Zim," she whispered, as tears steadily rolling down her cheeks. But there was no pain. Not then, not there. There was too much to be happy about to feel any pain. Without saying anything or giving any sort of warning, Tak leapt from her chair onto Zim and caught him in another kiss.

This kiss wasn't like the first one. The first one was shy, slow, and full of uncertainty. But this one was solid, and fueled by nothing but pure love. Tak wrapped her arms around Zim's neck again, while Zim continued to hug her tightly as the second kiss ensued. Both were crying, but not from sorrow, anger, or any other negative emotion. Zim and Tak were shedding tears of pure, uncontainable happiness.

The two fell back into Zim's chair, refusing to break the kiss. Their tears burnt their skin at they poured diwn their faces. But neither could feel a thing. All they cared about was kissing the other, and letting the other know that neither had anymore doubts about what was happening. Zim slowly broke the kiss and looked up into Tak's purple teary eyes. "I love you Tak," he whispered, not bothering to wipe the tears blurring his vision.

Tak smiled, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I love you too, Zim." The two laid in Zim's large chair, both having a tight hold on the other. Tak had her legs wrapped around Zim's waist, and gave him one last kiss on the cheek. And, in a matter of seconds, Tak ended up falling asleep in Zim's arms. Zim smiled, and soon also succumbed to sleep. Inside the Spittle Cruiser, everyone was finally asleep.

All except for Gir, of course. The SIR unit had on a cocky smile, and closed his eye. "See master," Gir whispered to Zim, quiet enough so that it wouldn't wake Mimi, who was _STILL_ fast asleep on his chest. "I told you it would work."

_**To Be Continued….**_

… Wow… That was sure some heavy shit, wasn't it? That, in my mind, had to be one of the best "First Kiss" scene I have ever written in _**ANY**_ of my stories. By far…. YAAAAAY! THEY'RE FINALLY TOGETHER! YAAAY! THIS IS THE BEST DAY IN THE HISTORY OF ZATR FANDOM! WOOHOO! Awesome! I am so happy to get to where I'm at! It feels so GREAT! I am really, really proud of what I did here. But what the important thing here is what **Y'ALL** thought about it. I hope the kiss was at a appropriate time. I hate it when I throw in the climatic kissing scene too soon, and not even know it. But in my defense, I felt that Tak realizing that Zim changing for the better was the only way for her to fully forgive him for all the nasty shit he did to her. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. _**PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF ANY OF YOU SEE ANY SPELLING OR GRAMMAR ERRORS, SO I CAN CORRECT THEM IMMEDIATELY!**_ Also, since this is such a _wonderful _occasion, I would really appreciate it if I received as many reviews as possible, since this chapter was the _**HARDEST **_to complete. So, if none of you mind, I would like to list off the people I'd like to hear from.

Ron: Ahem! *Pulls out a long list from his trench coat* I would really like to hear from Ambelle1120, benn55555, BlackTemplarKnight295, BlazinHothead, Bloody Brandy, ClockwerkOrange ( with a POSITIVE review ) crazy jaky, Danix the Mercenary Hedgehog, DinoFreakUSA, Elena Hurley, ExplosiveDiarrhea ( EW ) Familiar47, grimandgrimmer, GuiltyLeaf, ILoveGagaAndMichael, inadey, Invader Xi, Invader Zak, Irken Scientist Dexter, legion19, lolguy11321, Long Forgotten Blades, madman666, Massivader, Number66, Pokekinz0520, Spartan Ninja, SSVshepard, swordman600, The Writer of Stories, XKhoasXKyuubiX, XxDoomgrlxX, and YouKoTaichou. HOPE TO HEAR FROM Y'ALL SOON! PEACE!


	10. Welcome to Mirikia

Rating: T

Main Pairing: Zim/Tak

Author's Notes: I COULDN'T STAY AWAY! I know I said I would have something for all you Naruto, Teen Titans and Deadpool fans ready by now, but I'm having a little trouble. While I have half of the next chapter to The Shy Jinchuuriki done, I'm having a little trouble finding a good way to end it. So, I hope you all can forgive me. But after this chapter, I solemnly SWEAR I will finish it. Scout's honor. *Does the weird hand sign* Anyway, lets catch up on what happened last chapter… **ZIM AND TAK KISSED! THEY'VE FINALLY KISSED!** **OH HAPPY DAYS! IT'S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! TAK FINALLY FORGAVE HIM! YAAAAY! NOW, THE ONLY DIRECTION THEIR LIVES CAN GO IS UP! XD** Finally, the moment all you ZATR fans have been waiting for came. The kiss that starts it all. Thank Gir. And, as a far warning, there will be some strong ZATR fluff in this chapter, so bare with me. The fluff will settle down soon. But what will happen when the Tallest catch wind that Zim and Tak aren't on Earth? What'll happen when they give Earth a little visit? And what will happen when Zim, Tak, Gir and Mimi land on Mirikia? All will be answered now. So sit back, take a load off, grab some nachos, donuts, curly-fries, and a drink! Because the next chapter starts right… About… NOW!

Chapter 10: Welcome to Mirikia

Tak let out a soft, pleasant yawn when she woke up. That was without a doubt, in her mind, the most peaceful sleep she had ever experienced. Eventually, Tak realized that she was warmer than usual. She looked up and found herself in Zim's arms. But she didn't push him away, shout at him, or anything of the sort. She remembered everything that was said and done before they fell asleep. She knew what happened between them, and accepted it. Tak found herself gazing upon the sleeping Zim with loving, adore filled eyes. She didn't know how long they've been asleep. But after what happened between them before they fell asleep, she didn't really care what time it was. All that mattered to her was being with him now. Slowly, without waking Zim, Tak turned her head to look at their SIR units. They were still asleep, and still in the same positions. Gir was on his back, and Mimi was atop of him with her head snuggled into his chest.

'Wow,' Tak thought, 'I've never seen Mimi look so happy and carefree before.' Tak then turned back to Zim, and smiled lovingly before gently resting her head against his chest. Zim shifted in his sleep, but only to let out a yawn and return back to slumber. As Tak rested her head against Zim's chest, she could feel all the scars through his shirt. 'How could I be so blind?' Tak wondered, looking up to see the scar across his eye. 'Even after he saved my life, while being in horrible the whole time doing it, I still attacked him. And when he offered to take me and Mimi to Mirikia with him and Gir, I said yes just because I didn't want to fight the Tallest.'

Slowly, Tak reached up with one hand and gently rubbed the left side of his face, right next to his scarred eye. Even though he was still asleep, the feeling of Tak's gentle touch on his face caused Zim to smile and let out a blissful moan. Tak's heartbeat picked up a bit when she heard him moan. For someone to adore her touch even when they're not even conscious almost made tears of happiness come to her eyes. She never imagined that someone would ever enjoy her existence as much as Zim did. All her life, she was taught that love, and any other emotion was a weakness, and would've labeled any respectful Irken Invader a "Defective". But what she was feeling now was too good to let slip by. If loving someone meant being called a Defective all her life, Tak would accept it without a second thought.

Lifting her head up, Tak planted a soft kiss on Zim's cheek. 'This feels so good,' Tak thought, breaking the kiss to rest her head on his shoulders. 'All this time, I was taught that emotions like these were a sign of weakness. But now, after truly experiencing them, I don't want to lose them.' Thinking back about all Zim had said to her after they first kissed brought a blush to Tak's face. 'He said he wanted to be with me… And that he didn't want me to leave him. No one has ever wanted me they wanted me around. Not like this.' Tak closed her eyes and snuggled her head into Zim's neck, basking in the warmth that followed.

"Good morning, Tak." Tak's eyes snapped back open when she heard Zim's voice. She pulled her head back and looked at the boy. Zim was looking at her with two half opened eyes, with a small smile on his face. A blush was present on his face, making the same shade of red that was on Tak's face. After letting out a low yawn, Zim continued. "I hope you had a good sleep. A full day of story telling would leave anyone tired."

A smirk appeared across Tak's face. "Believe me, I don't think I've ever slept as peacefully as I did just now," she replied, before laying a quick peck on Zim's lips. When they parted, Tak suddenly started giggling. "I can't believe it," she giggled, arousing a curios eyebrow raise from Zim. "All my life, all I wanted to do was kill you. But now, by some weird twist of fate, I find myself in love with you… It's kinda weird, actually."

Zim chuckled as he rubbed his sleepy eyes. "Tell me about it," he agreed. "In fact, the week before we got betrayed, we devoted all our time to pranking and humiliating one another." But being serious, he looked deep into Tak's eyes before smiling. "But I don't regret it. Do you?"

"Not at all," Tak answered, now sitting in Zim's lap. "But just because we're "an item" as the humans put it, that doesn't mean I'll stay all sweet and cuddly," she warned, striking a serious expression and shaking her head. "If you treat me right for now on, we'll have no problems. But if you screw up," she growled, grabbing Zim by the collar of his shirt and pulling him up close, "I'll make you suffer. You understand?"

"You don't have to tell _me_ twice," Zim chuckled, a little nervous by how quickly Tak went from warm, gentle and loving to scary, hard and threatening. So, he nodded excitedly at her demands.

Suddenly, her dark frown turned back into a smile. "I'm glad to her that," she said, right before she came in for another kiss. Not like the kiss earlier. This next one was a little more rough and not as quick. Zim melted away into a rag doll like state as Tak stole another kiss. Zim knew Tak wasn't the same. Sure, she _sounded_ the same. But he could tell that she was forcing herself to threaten him. Tak knew she could trust Zim. After how much he begged her to forgive him, it was doubtful that he would do anything to _intentionally_ hurt her. But, she figured that she'd better make sure, just in case. When they separated, Tak was about to say something, but she was interrupted by an all too familiar voice.

"YAAAY! Master Zim and master Tak are kissing! Now we're a great big happy family!" Zim and Tak turned abruptly and saw Gir and Mimi, sitting cross-legged on the other side of the Spittle. Well, Mimi was the one who was sitting cross-legged, actually. Gir was dancing around, happy to see that Zim and Tak were together. "See master? I told you kissing Tak would work," Gir sang. "You should listen to me more often… And make me and Mimi tacos when we reach are new home! YAY! TACOS!"

As Gir went off on a crazy rant about tacos, Tak smiled fiendishly and looked at Zim with a raised eyebrow. "You mean, kissing me was _Gir's_ idea? Not yours?"

'Aw crud! Aw crud! Aw crud! Aw crud! Aw crud! Aw crud,' Zim screamed repeatedly in his head, fearing that he had already screwed up. He looked down to the side nervously, and scratched the back of his neck. "Hehee… Umm… You see, Gir kept on, umm, suggesting that I kiss you… H-he suggested it once, while we were still in our little prank war, thinking that it might make us get along afterwards… B-but I kept insisting it w-wouldn't help."

Zim started fiddling with his fingers timidly, while Tak merely smirked and rolled her eyes. 'Aw well,' she thought, 'it's the thought that counts. So, I guess I'll have some fun with him.' Then, Tak turned around with her arms across her chest, and pretended to be angry. "I should've guessed," Tak huffed, knowing that Zim was buying her acting. "You wouldn't have kissed me if it wasn't for your SIR. You would've never kissed me unless he suggested it."

She opened one eye to sneak a peek at Zim. He looked at if he was about to have a heart attack. Sweat was dripping down his face and his eyes were darting from side to side, thinking of how to save his ass. Tak smiled devilishly, enjoying every second of watching Zim panic. Then, Tak realized that if she stayed with Zim, she could have this kind of fun all the time. But it didn't last.

_**Beep!**_ _**Beep!**_ _**Beep!**_ _**Beep!**_ _**Beep!**_ _**Beep!**_ _**Beep! **_The red light started blinking on and off, while an alarm started up. Zim, Tak, Gir and Mimi turned to the large computer screen that came out of the control panel. _"Master Zim and master Tak," _Computer began_, "we are nearing Planet Mirikia. We will be experiencing rough flying when we enter Mirikia's atmosphere, which I estimate will be in about five minutes." _When Computer retracted back into the control panel, Zim, Tak, Gir and Mimi stared at the planet they were nearing… Planet Mirikia.

Planet Mirikia was much like Zim's and Tak's home planet, Irk. The planet was mainly covered with large, towering buildings and had space crafts flying all across the sky. And like Irk, Mirikia's military force was something to be admired. But, there were some key differences between the two. One was that while Mirikia had the same type of cities as Irk, Mirikia also had humongous, vibrant forests as well. Not like Irk's many swamplands, but actual forests with trees, bushes, wildlife, everything. Another important difference was that Mirikia wasn't a aggressive world. Unlike Irk, which was always out to find a new planet to conquer.

As all four gazed at the incoming planet, Computer popped back out of the control panels. _"Master Zim and master Tak, we have an incoming transmission from the Mirikian Air Force Headquarters. It appears that they've detected our arrival, and are requesting your response immediately. Patching it through now."_

The computer monitor went fuzzy, before showing the Mirikian Air Force general. They saw a tall, skinny purple alien, wearing a general's uniform. Oddly enough, the Mirikian people and the Irken people shared similarities in appearance, as well as landscape. He had large eyes, just like any Irken. But unlike Irken eyes, the Mirikian's eyes actually had pupils, instead of a bold color the Irkens have. His pupils were a beautiful shade of dark blue. He also had antennas. His antennas went back and made a nice, smooth curl at the end. It was sort of like Tak's antennas, except Tak's was more like a edgy curl. And behind him swung a long, whip-like lizard tail. _**( Simply put: Mirikians are tall, purple Irkens with eyes that are similar to Zim's face human eyes, curly antennas and lizard tails. Good description? )**_

The Mirikian general cleared his throat, ultimately ensuring he had everyone's attention. "Greetings. I am General Hickash of the Mirikian Air Force Military. You are entering Mirikian airspace. Please state your business." Unlike most generals Zim and Tak been around, this one spoke in a calmer, less intimidating tone of voice.

Zim was about to answer, but Tak pushed past him and addressed General Hickash. She started off by saluting. "Greeting, General Hickash. I am Irken Sanitation Drone Tak." It was true. After she was unable to take the Irken Invader Qualifying Exam, her status was changer from "Invader" to "Sanitation Drone" and was sent to Planet Dirt.

Following Tak's example, Zim straightened himself up, and saluted. "And I am Irken Food Drone Zim. We come to request that we be permitted to live on Mirikia." That surprised Tak when she heard that. She knew that Zim ruined Operation: Impending Doom I, but she didn't know that the Tallest changed his status to Food Drone. "We no longer wish to live with the jobs given to us, so we ask if you would allow us to reside here on Mirikia."

General Hickash inspected the two over before nodding his head. "We'll have to meet in person before any decisions are made. I'll send you the coordinates to our headquarters. There, we will decide rather or not you can or can't live here." After the general saluted the two, the transmission was cut off.

"Computer," Tak said, causing the Computer to come back online. "Analyze the coordinates and take us there." Computer waited a second, since he normally only took orders from Zim. But when Zim nodded his head, Computer complied and retracted back into the control panels. Tak took a deep breath, and slumped back into her chair. She reached to the side and strapped herself into her seat. "Buckle up, everyone," she sighed, looking to Mimi and Gir. "We about to enter Mirikia's atmosphere." Wasting no time, Mimi ran and leapt into Tak's lap. Gir, being the uncoordinated SIR as he was, stumbled to reach Zim's seat as they started entering Mirikia's atmosphere.

_**Meanwhile, Back on Earth….**_

"Dib! Wake up! This is an emergency!" Dib, who was asleep in his bed was woken by his father, who had him by his shoulders and was shaking him vigorously. When Dib opened his eyes, he noticed that his father looked panicked. "Dib! Get dressed! We need to leave immediately!"

Even though he had just woken up, Dib already knew to take this seriously. He **never **heard his father sound so scared. He was even sweating, which all in itself was a bad sign. Professor Membrane was also known for being the most level-headed scientist around. Nothing made him nervous or scared. He'd even been through a near meltdown at a nuclear power plant, and didn't panic. So Dib knew this was bad. "D-Dad? What's going on?"

"We're under attack again, son," Professor Membrane answered. "But not like before. Now, they've sent an enormous ship. Look!" Grabbing the remote from Dib's floor, he turned on the television set. It went straight to the News.

"It's the end of the world! The aliens are attacking Earth again," cried a new News caster. "There is a humongous pink alien vessel coming straight towards Earth! And around it is an armada of smaller spaceships! Those weirdoes were right! They _were _coming! And here they are! Run for your lives!" Then, the video footage was cut off.

'Wait… Humongous pink alien spaceship?' Dib thought, as he rushed to his window and looked into the sky. When he stared into the sky, his eyes grew nearly twice their normal size in shock. He recognized it. The unique structure, the bright pink color, the Irken symbol painted on the front, and the VOOT and Spittle Cruisers flying around it…

It was the Massive….

_**Back with Zim, Tak, Gir and Mimi….**_

Zim and Tak squinted their eyes as they broke through the clouds of Mirikia, having just made it through Mirikia's atmosphere. It wasn't as bad as Computer had anticipated. Sure, it was a _little_ bumpy. But nothing too serious. "Computer," Tak sighed, while Mimi hopped off her lap so she could unhook her seatbelts. Computer came out of the control panels again, kinda annoyed at how much Tak was ordering him around. "Switch to auto-pilot and take us to Mirikia Air Force Headquarters."

"… _Yes ma'am," _Computer growled, before he recoiled back into the ship.

Now out of his seatbelts, Zim let out a sigh of relief. So far so good. Now they just had to convince General Hickash they weren't Invaders. Zim looked over to Tak, who was leaning back in her chair with her eyes closed. Fearing she was still "mad" at him about what Gir said, he chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his neck. "Umm… Great leadership skills Tak," he complimented, receiving nothing more than an annoyed glance. Gulp. "Umm… Hehee, yeah, we're doing good so far. Now we need to convince General Hickash to let us stay. Isn't that great?"

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever," Tak answered, using her "I don't care" voice again, further convincing Zim she was still mad at him. She was having far too much fun to stop now. Zim glared at Gir for blabbing about "him being right" in front of Tak. Feeling guilty, Gir looked down to the ground and put his hands behind his back.

Letting out a depressed moan, Zim gave up. 'Damn. It's only been a day since we've made up, and now Gir screwed it up for me. What do I do now?' While he thought about it, he turned his attention to his broken leg. It wasn't hurting anymore. 'Well, it's been long enough, I suppose,' he thought, as he opened up his PAC, and pulled out a high-powered Laser Saw. When Tak caught glance at it, she sighed and turned to him.

"Don't be an idiot, Zim," she hissed, snatching the Laser Saw out from Zim's hands. "If you try doing it by yourself, you'll just end up cutting it off… Which, if I remember correctly, a broken leg if better than no leg at all." Without warning, she grabbed Zim by his shirt and pulled him onto the floor. He landed on his back, and before he knew it, Tak was kneeled down beside him with one hand holding his leg still, and the other holding the already activated Laser Saw. Thinking this might be entertaining, Gir and Mimi were sitting in the back of the Spittle, simply watching this all go down.

Zim was nervous. Tak was mad at him again, and now had her hands on a Laser Saw. Tak silently snickered when she got an idea on how to scare him some more. Before actually cutting, she looked at the Laser Saw, pretending to be confused. "Hmm… It's been a while since I used one of these," she mumbled aloud, causing Zim to go tense with fear. "Aw well. I know it'll come back to me. Tell me if you start feeling pain." Then….

_**SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**_

The Laser Saw cut through the hard cast like a hot knife through butter. Zim didn't even think about looking down. He just stared straight up, fearing if he moved, everything would go wrong. 'Don't move. Don't move. Don't move. Don't move. Don't move. Don't move. Don't move. Don't move. Don't move. Don't move. Don't move,' he repeated in his head. 'Just don't move and everything will be fine. Just don't move.' Tak saw how freaked out Zim was, and decided enough was enough.

'Well, it was fun,' she thought, nearing the end of the cutting, 'but I guess I can let him off with a 'warning' now.' After a few seconds passed, Tak turned off the saw blade. "Okay, we're done." Zim looked up. There was a deep laser cut right down the middle of his cast. Before he could say anything, Tak reached down and put her fingers inside the cut of the cast. Then with surprising strength, _RIPPED_ apart the entire cast, leaving Zim's right leg. Zim, needless to say, was quite surprised that Tak was so strong.

"Does this hurt Zim?" Tak asked, as she applied a small amount of pressure on his leg. Zim shook his head. "Good… Does this hurt?" She asked again, choosing a different spot. Again, Zim shook his head. "Hmm. Looks like you are all ready to go, I guess," Tak said, sitting cross-legged beside Zim, who was now sitting upright on his own.

Zim stretched out his right leg, wondering how it felt. It was a little sore from being in a cast, but nothing a little walking around couldn't fix. Wiping the sweat from his head, he slumped right back onto his back. "Thanks Tak… That would've taken a lot longer if I did it by myself. I owe you one."

Tak turned to him. "I know," she said, leaning over Zim with a wicked grin. Before he could even open his eyes, Tak crawled on top of him, pinned his arms and legs down, and had her face mere inches away from his. When he _did _open his eyes, he was looking straight into Tak's purple eyes. "Once we touch down on Mirikia, we'll have to thank Gir for his suggestion."

Tak then closed the small gap between their faces and kissed Zim on the lips. She wouldn't admit it to him, but she absolutely loved kissing him. It was one of the very few acts that could put any negative thought out of her mind. Plus… It felt _really_ nice. Gir was giggling to himself as the two went at it again, while Mimi only looked at them in confusion. Tak slowly started rubbing her hands against his chest. Zim, who was enjoying the feeling of Tak rubbing his chest, decided to just lay there and enjoy having Tak in control. After about 20 seconds of this, Tak finally broke the kiss.

Zim looked up at her with a blush and a embarrassed scowl when she ended the kiss. "You were only pretending to be mad at me, weren't you?" He asked, thinking he already knew the answer. Tak smiled evilly at him, stuck her tongue out at him, and nodded. "I should've known," he grumbled to himself.

"Aw come on, Zim," Tak whined, resting her head on his chest. "We're probably going to be living together after we convince General Hickash to take us in," she pointed out, causing Zim's blush to take on a deeper shade of red. That never occurred to him before. "And since we had a lot of bad blood in out past," Tak continued, "I figured a little joke every now and again might make us being together a little less awkward."

Zim knew what she meant. This was quite a commitment in the making. They've been mortal enemies since they were Smeets. It wasn't that long ago when they were in a fight to the death. But now, here they were, kissing each other as if they've been in love all their lives. The change was almost too dramatic. He was sure they were thinking the same thing. They were both wondering if this was happening too fast or not.

But Zim refused to let his unpleasant thoughts show. He smiled evilly. "Okay, I think I understand," he snickered. Then, before Tak could react, Zim grabbed her by the shoulders and managed to roll atop of her. Zim did the same things as Tak. He pinned her arms down and straddled her chest. Tak struggled to break free from his grip. But she couldn't for two reasons. One: Despite his small size, Zim was actually pretty strong. And two: She kinda liked what he was doing. "_Revenge_," Zim hissed, using his dramatic voice. Slowly, he started moving his face closer to hers, making it a little bit more suspenseful and exciting. Letting out an uncharacteristic girlish giggle, Tak closed her eyes and puckered up for the kiss.

"**AHEM!**" The kiss was interrupted by a new voice. One that didn't belong to Zim, Tak, Gir or Computer. Their eyes snapped open in surprise and turned to where the voice came from. Apparently, while they were all over each other, Computer decided not to inform them that they have landed at the Mirikian Air Force Headquarters. Because standing before the open cockpit door stood General Hickash, with a couple of Mirikian soldiers beside him. General Hickash was nearly five feet tall, towering over a large percentage of Irkens.

The general smirked and turned to the soldier beside him. "Well, you wanna know my first impression on these two?" He asked, getting a nod from the soldier beside him. "I don't think they're _hostile_ or _aggressive _in the way we were fearing." As the Mirikian military personnel shared a hearty laugh, Tak pushed Zim off from atop of her, shot straight up to her feet, dusted herself off and saluted, with her face resembling a boiled lobster.

"G-greetings, General H-Hickash," she stammered, still embarrassed beyond belief at what just happened. "It's an h-honor to b-be here today, s-sir." She tried her best to keep a professional stand, but after the kiss that almost was, her legs were shaking like jelly. Tak also tried to keep a straight face, even while some of the soldiers were laughing at her. "S-sorry about n-not noticing you, s-sir. You see, we w-were… Umm…" Tak just couldn't come up with a good excuse right off the bat. But even if she could, it's kinda hard mistaking what they were about to do.

As the poor embarrassed Irken girl tried to complete her excuse, General Hickash waved it off. "Wow, calm down there, girly. You don't need to explain anything to us." A wide grin appeared on his face. "We were all young and in love once, right men?" The soldiers nodded their heads, agreeing to the statement. But that still didn't help Tak and her embarrassment. Zim, who just now had climbed to his feet, saluted the general and his men as well.

General Hickash looked at both of them closely. Then noticed the two SIR units behind them. This raised a red flag. "Zim and Tak, was it?" He asked. Both looked at each other, and nodded. "Well, if you'd both be so kind as to accompany me and my men, we'd gladly sit down and figure what's goin' on."

Not seeing any problems with that, they both nodded. General Hickash and his men leapt out of the Spittle and landed on the ground. Tak was about to follow, but she turned to see Zim moving rather stiffly. 'His leg my not be broken,' she thought, 'but it will be again if he tries to jump off.' So, before he even thought about it, Tak put her hand up to stop him. "You're not jumping with that leg," she stated, giving him a stern look. "And I don't think whipping out our spider legs would be the best idea. Don't want to startle them, ya know?"

Zim looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Okay. But how am I going to get down, then?" Tak sighed and rolled her eyes. She walked up behind Zim, and scooped him up into her arms, like a groom would to his bride. Zim looked up at Tak, and couldn't help but smile. "Well, I guess this works too." Tak walked up to the edge of the Spittle, and hopped down. Sure, it was only about a six foot drop. But with Zim's healing leg, she didn't want to take any chances. When she landed on the ground, she gently placed him back on his feet.

"Hey! Don't forget about us," Gir cried, jumping of the side of the Spittle. But, the clumsy SIR jumped too short and bounced off the side before hitting the ground. Mimi, who was far more coordinated than Gir, leapt off the Spittle with grace and landed on Tak's shoulder. Zim walked over to his fallen SIR unit and shoot his head in annoyance. Gir simply started upward with that blank stare he's always got on. "Hmm… That hurt. HAHAHAHAHA!" Gir started laughing hysterically again.

Letting out a tired sigh, Zim reached into his back pocket and pulled out a little remote with simply a red and green button. He pressed the red one. Suddenly, Gir was shut off completely. When Tak and the others shot him confused looks, Zim hunched his shoulder. "I made a deactivation system for Gir. Now, if he gets too annoying, I can turn him on and off anytime. Cool, huh?"

General Hickash looked at this, and scratched the back of his head. He then looked to his men and nodded. "Okay you two," Hickash started, managing to get both Zim's and Tak's attention, "we'll have to talk to the Elders concerning your fate. So if you'd just follow us, we'll lead you to them." When Zim and Tak agreed to follow, almost as if on cue, a few Flashers **( The Mirikian equivalent to a Spittle or VOOT )** came down from the sky. Surprisingly, they all were almost as big as the Spittle Zim and Tak constructed. "You two will ride with me," General Hickash pointed out. "You can bring you SIR units along, but only if you can keep them under control."

Zim chuckled. "Don't worry, General Hickash. The only real "threat" was Gir, and he's no longer a issue." He proved that by tossing the lifeless SIR up and down like a rag doll. Satisfied, the Mirikian general hopped into his Flasher. Zim looked at Tak with a smug grin. "You think you're strong enough to jump into the Flasher while carrying me?" He asked, almost as if it he was challenge her. Tak nodded, smiling confidently. But unlike last time, Tak turned around and bent down on one knee.

"Get on," she ordered, pointing to her back. Zim figured out what she was planning on doing, and smiled devilishly. He grabbed her by her shoulders and climbed onto her back. After getting a good grip on Tak, Zim told her he was ready. "Hang on." Then, in a sudden burst of strength, Tak propelled herself into the air, with Zim hanging on. The two ended up landing right beside General Hickash, who looked at the oddly. But Tak explained after she helped Zim into his chair, and after Mimi brought the deactivated Gir aboard. "He has a bad leg. Got broken a couple days ago and had just finished healing, but I thought he should take it easy."

"Whatever you say, girly," Hickash sang, before he closed the cockpit door.

_**Back on Earth….**_

Irken soldiers surrounded the entire city, stopping everyone and everything from escaping. There were VOOT and Spittle Cruisers flew all across the sky. Dib and his family stayed inside their house, hiding from the Irken Invader squads patrolling the streets. The alien invaders were rounding up every human they found and were gathering them up in the middle of the city. "This is bad," Professor Membrane moaned, sitting up against the front door. "And to think, all the movies that have been made depicting alien invasions and **NO ONE** was prepared… Kinda ironic, once you think about it."

Seeing his father upset only made Dib more nervous. He was hoping his dad would be able to lead them to safety. But it turned out that even the city's most revered scientist was just as scared as the rest of humanity. He looked at his sister Gaz, and was surprised to see she _WASN'T_ playing on her Game Slave. She was sitting beside him, not saying anything. He looked back to his father, only to see that he was still mumbling to himself.

'God damnit,' Dib thought, massaging his temples, 'I have to do something. But all of my weapons are in the garage. And if I can't even get there, there's no way in Hell I'll be able to get to Zim's base.' He peeked out the window again. Now, there were more of Dr. Killek's experiments running around with the Invaders.

"Dib," Mr. Membrane hissed, pulling his son from the window. "What on Earth do you think you're doing? If they spot us, we're dead."

"No we aren't," Dib disagreed, looking up at his father with a stern look. "If they catch us, they'll just send us to the middle of the city along with the rest." Then, remembering what Zim told him before he left to Mirikia, Dib got an idea. "We need to go out into the open." Dib explained more after his father stared at him as if he was going mad. "Listen to me. If these aliens aren't killing anyone, then they aren't here to fight. They must be looking for something. And since the mother ship is in the middle of town, I bet their leaders are there, as well. If we "surrender" they'll take us to them, and we can try and figure out what's going on."

While Professor Membrane thought that was a risky plan, he couldn't think of a better one. He was tempted to sneak into the garage and use the weapons his son makes. But seeing as there are seriously outnumbered, it would've been suicide. He looked back outside the window. There was a large group of people being herded into the city, with a squad of alien soldiers behind them. As much as he hated putting his kids in harm's way, it seemed like the best solution at the time.

Professor Membrane stood up and let out a heavy sigh. "Okay Dib," he said, turned to the door. "But you and Gaz get behind me. If anything goes wrong, I want you two to run as fast as you can. Do I make myself clear?" Dib and Gaz looked at each other, and nodded. "Good." Then, slowly, Professor Membrane opened up the door. The three walked out and stood still until they were spotted by a Invader.

"You! Meat-sacks," she called out, leaving her squad to confront them. Professor Membrane raised his hands into the air, signaling Dib and Gaz to do the same. The Irken girl raised her Plasma Rifle and took aim. "You are to come with us to the center of your city. The Tallest wish to speak to all of you, so we've given orders to not kill you. But if you try _**ANYTHING**_, I'll blast your puny heads right off your shoulders. Now join your fellow humans and get moving."

_**Back with Zim and Tak….**_

Zim, Tak and Mimi were in the center of Mirikia, at the steps of the most important building ever constructed. They were standing before the Elder Mirikian's Council building. This is where all Irkens who wanted to live on Mirikia went. It was not the Military who made the decision, but the highest power on the planet, the Elders. The building was humongous, standing at least 200 stories high. There were Flashers flying all around the building, always on guard in case of a invasion.

"This is where you will meet the Council of Elders," General Hickash started, as he led Zim, Tak, Mimi (Who is still carrying Gir) and his men inside. "Here, you will be judged by the Elders. They will decide if you stay or not." He looked back at the two. Not to his surprise, they both looked nervous. All Irkens are when they're about to meet the Elders. Zim was walking beside Tak, holding her hand as they followed. So, Hickash tried to ease the stress. "But don't worry. The Elders are nothing like your Tallest in any way," he continued, reassuringly. "They'll ask you a series of questions and come up with a decision."

They soon approached the elevator. Hickash turned to his men, and saluted. The men saluted back before turning and leaving the building. The elevator door opened up, and the four walked in. When the door closed, they started ascending upward. General Hickash turned to the two with a smile. "Don't worry. You'd be surprised how understanding the Elders are. As long as you tell the truth, your chances of being allowed to live on Mirikia are good."

Feeling a little better, Zim and Tak let out a sigh of relief. Hearing that the Elders of Mirikia were nothing like the Tallest was really settling. Up till now, they were fearing that the Elders would be somewhat like the Tallest, which would've made it harder for them. But, now at ease, the two stood in silence and calmed themselves.

Tak, after collecting her thoughts, finally realized that she was holding onto something. She looked down to see she was, in fact, holding Zim's hand. '… This is just too weird,' she thought to herself, 'I never imagined love could do this to someone.' But even though she found that her new found feelings for Zim were a little sudden, she knew why Zim must've grabbed her hand. He was most likely still nervous about this whole "Meeting the Elders" thing, and thought that holding her hand would've helped him cope. He was looking to the ground, thinking apparently. So, not wanting to disturb him, Tak kept quiet. After about three minutes of nonstop ascending and awkward silence, they finally reached the top floor. When the doors opened up, they were faced with the Elders.

The top floor was were the Elders met to discuss many important matter. It looked similar to a courtroom on Earth, except the desks were levitating in the air. In those desks were five old Mirikian males. Unlike Irkens, Mirikian people were actually able to grow hair. All of the Elders had long white beards, and stood up at around four feet tall. When General Hickash stepped out, he saluted. "My Elders, I bring two Irkens who wish to live here on Mirikia."

The Elder floating in the middle of them all slowly lowered his desk to the ground, with the others following him. He stepped out. The first Elder, who appeared to be the main one, looked at General Hickash with a smile. "Thank you, Hickash," he spoke, using a old, tired voice. "Me and the other Elders will handle things from here." After bowing, General Hickash turned, went back into the elevator and left.

Zim and Tak stood side-by-side, not knowing how to start. They didn't what to say or do something stupid in front of the most important people on Mirikia. But the old man laughed when he saw how nervous the two were. "No need to be afraid, young ones. I am Elder Gleek, head of the Elder Council. If you're here with no intent to do harm, then you have nothing to fear." The fact that Elder Gleek was so friendly sounding was a great relief for the two, who bowed their heads to him. "Please, follow me to the center of the room," he said, turning to his fellow Elders. "We will simply ask you both some questions, before we make any decision concerning your citizenship."

Elder Gleek slowly made his way to his desk, and sat down. When seated, Zim and Tak were standing in the center of the room, looking a bit timid. Instead of levitating up, the other four Elders merely levitated around so that they made a half circle around them. Elder Gleek cleared his throat, and began. "State your names," he ordered, using a more serious tone of voice.

"I-Irken Zim."

"Irken Tak."

"Ah. We've heard of you Zim," Gleek replied, with the other Elders whispered amongst themselves. "You single handedly ruined Operation: Impending Doom I for the Irken Empire, did you not?" Zim started shaking nervously, seeing as they already knew he used to be an Invader. Hesitantly, Zim nodded his head. "So I am to believe you are still have the status of "Invader" are you not?"

Zim shook his head rapidly. "N-no! not anymore," he answered, before taking a deep breath. "A-after I ruined Operation: I-Impending Doom I, I w-was reassigned to be a F-Food Drone. I'm n-no longer an Invader." Gleek and the others studied Zim's excuse and the manner in which he said it. Then, Gleek turned to Tak.

"Irken Tak, what is your status?"

Tak took a deep breath. "I was also assigned to be an Invader," she answered, "but after I _failed_ the Irken Invader Qualifying Exam, I was reassigned to be a Sanitation Drone."

Elder Gleek rubbed his long beard in curiosity. Then he asked the important question. "Irken Zim and Irken Tak… Please inform us the reason you wish to resign here on Mirikia."

Zim and Tak were silent at first. They wanted to know why they wanted to live there. Tak remembered that General Hickash urged them to be completely honest with the Elders, no matter what the answer would be. So, after gathering ever ounce of courage she had, she answered before Zim. "My Elders," she began, addressing them as _her _Elders, showing them proper respect. "The reason why we're here isn't a short answer. It's more like a story."

"Oh, by all means then," Elder Gleek replied, sitting back in his desk. "We have no other important matter to discuss, so take all the time you need."

"Thank you," Tak thanked, before taking one more deep breath. "You see, everything started about 50 years ago…"

_**One Big Explanation Later….**_

Tak had basically spilled _**EVERYTHING**_ to the Elders. She told them about Zim causing the blackout that ruined her chances of becoming an Invader. She told them about how she hunted him down, and tried to steel his "mission". She told them about her being shot into space for six months, only to be saved by the Tallest. She told them about how she went back to Earth to try to kill Zim, only to be betrayed by the Tallest and was almost killed. She ended her story at the part where she and Zim agreed to travel to Mirikia for safety. Thinking Tak had the right idea, Zim also decided to give his side of the story.

"Hmm," Gleek hummed, stroking his beard. "That was quite an interesting story, you two. And I have to say, I'm astonished at how honest you both were." Tak and Zim let out a nervous sigh, not knowing if they helped their cause or damaged it. they knew that the story didn't really make them look _peaceful_. But, they had to be completely honest with them. Elder Gleek whispered to the Elder beside him, and looked down at the two Irkens. "Well, that was all we needed to know. Now I must discuss this with my fellow Elders. After we all go over what you two have told us, we'll give you our verdict." Gleek turned to his fellow Elders and nodded his head. Simultaneously, all five Mirikian Elders levitated into the air, high above Zim and Tak so they could discuss all that has been said.

"Z-Zim?" Zim turned and looked at Tak, who had on a worried expression. "I'm scared. What if they won't allow us to stay here? Where will we go?" That was exactly was Zim was pondering, himself. He didn't know what would happen if they're denied refuge from the Tallest on Mirikia. "Almost every other planet in the galaxy is under Irken control. And when the Tallest find out we're not on Earth, we won't have anywhere else to go."

Zim knew how she felt. It was either this or go up against the entire Irken Empire. This was the last place they could turn to. He was scared too. But he couldn't let it show. He needed to be strong now more then ever. So he tightened his grip on Tak's hand. "I'm scared too, Tak. But I don't care where we have to go if we aren't welcomed here. As long as we have each other, we'll be alright."

'… Wow,' Tak thought, reaching down and gently grabbing Zim by the back of his head, 'that was a really corny thing to say.' She looked down at Zim and saw him with that all so familiar smug grin. When she saw him smiling, she couldn't help but crack a smile of her own. 'But he's trying. And that's good enough for me.' Tak slowly went to her knees, so that she was face level with Zim. She didn't care if any of the Elders saw them kiss. If they chose to deny their citizenship there, it wouldn't matter anyway. "Kinda corny," she giggled, slowly lowering her head downward, "but I can see you're trying to cheer me up. So thank you." Tak then bent down and pressed her lips against Zim's.

Zim closed his eyes and let out a pleasant moan as Tak slowly started pulling him closer into the kiss. 'I can really get used to this,' he thought, wrapping his arms around her waist. Zim felt overjoyed to know that he and Tak were no longer bitter enemies. Having her as a girlfriend was something he never imagined happening, but when it did, the feeling that followed was indescribable. 'I really need to thank Gir after all of this is all over.'

"Umm… Hello? You two there?" Like before, Zim's and Tak's passionate kiss was interrupted. This time by Elder Gleek, who was standing before them with the other Elders at his back. Instead of pushing Zim away like last time, Tak slowly broke the kiss and stared back at the Elders with a embarrassed blush. Zim couldn't even bring himself to look up. He just stared directly at the floor to hide his beat red face.

There was a few chuckles amongst the Elders when the kiss was interrupted. "I see that you two aren't enemies anymore, eh?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest. Tak then looked down in embarrassment, just as Zim was doing. But Gleek let out a tired old chuckle. "How you two ended up together is none of our concern," he assured, placing his hand up in defense. But his friendly demeanor changed back to serious once the other Elders stopped laughing. "After much consideration on what you've told us," he continued, "we've came to a conclusion."

Zim and Tak looked up abruptly. They were holding hands again, hoping for the answer they so desperately needed. Zim and Tak bit their bottom lips in anticipation, praying that it wasn't that answer they feared. "We had a lot to take into account. You were both Irken Invaders for the most of your lives," Gleek continued, causing a horrified expression to appear across both Zim's and Tak's faces. They feared they knew the answer. "You both were at the top of all the classes that had to do with invading, and are, as far as the Irken Empire is concerned, deserters and outlaws."

Tak was on the verge of crying. It seemed that all they admitted to the Elders were ultimately working against them. Tak snapped her eyes shut and squeezed Zim's hand. But Zim did everything in his being to keep a cool head. He merely looked down to the ground, not wanting to show any fear.

"With that being said," Gleek continued, immediately raising Zim's and Tak's hopes, "we cannot ignore that fact that you two have been completely honest with us the entire time, despite how it would make your innocence look. You were almost killed by the "leaders" you spent your whole lives worshiping as a form of barbaric entertainment. And after taking in the fact that you both have traveled all the way from Earth to ask us for a place to stay, it would simply be cruel of us to deny it." Zim's and Tak's eyes went wide with hope when they heard Elder Gleek say that. All of the Elders smiled and nodded their heads when they saw their reactions. "So as of this day, you two can call Mirikia your new home. Welcome."

_**To Be Continued….**_

Hahahaha! There you all go, my loyal Invader Zim fans! Zim and Tak have finally found their new home, Mirikia. Isn't it wonderful? And again, please forgive me if I went overboard with the ZATR-ness. Things will get a little more serious for those two as the story progresses. But now, with the ZATR-ness aside, lets party! Zim and Tak are safe from the Tallest! This is awesome, isn't it? I mean, now they can… Oh shit. I just remembered that the Tallest were now on _**EARTH**_! And that they have the city under complete lockdown. How will everything turn out for everyone's favorite alien-obsessed boy and his family? Tone in next time. Like I said in my notes, I _**HAVE**_ to update my other stories. I only updated this because I wanted to end at a even number. But once I update some of my other stories, I'll come right back and continue with this, I promise. _**IF ANYONE SPOTS ANY SPELLING OR GRAMMAR ERRORS, PLEASE CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY SO I CAN CORRECT THEM!**_ Hope to hear what y'all have to say! Till next time. PEACE!


	11. Where are They?

Rating: T

Pairing: Zim/Tak

Author's Notes: Well, I got some good news and some bad news. Bad news, because FanFiction is going through some upgrades or something, I am unable to update many of my stories. That's the bad news. _Good_ news is that this was one of the stories that I _am_ able to update. So lucky you, you all get another update…. Don't really know what I'll be able to update any of my other stories, but whatever. Here's another chapter. Last chapter, we went through the stressful, intense moment Zim and Tak have been waiting for. To see if the Council of the Elder Mirikians will grant them permission to live on their planet. It seemed as if it wasn't happening, but after discussing it among his fellow councilmen, Elder Gleek happily granted the two runaway Irkens citizenship. But meanwhile, back on Earth, things are going down the drain. The Tallest invaded Earth with an army of Invaders, wanting to find and destroy the two Defectives once and for all. How will everything pan out? Will they figure out where Zim and Tak are? But just as a heads up, this entire chapter will mostly be about what is happening back on Earth. We'll see what Dib does now that his planet has been Invaded? Find out here! So sit back, relax, grab something to snack on and enjoy the ride. Peace!

Chapter 11: Where are They?

"This is where you two will be living," Elder Gleek stated, as he led Zim, Tak, and Mimi to where they will be living. To get to where they would be staying, Elder Gleek needed to take them just outside the city. That was were a large majority of the civilians lived. It was a large community, similar to a residential neighborhood on Earth. There were houses of all shapes and sizes, with children running around playing games. There were trees, grass, and other forms of vegetation growing in the residents' yards, much different to the barracks every Irken was forced to live in, Invader or not.

"The city was primarily built for big business and military use," Gleek continued, as they neared the front gates. "And while civilians were more than welcome to go into the city for any reason, not too many actually lived there. The city is mainly for military training and tourism." After walking a couple of more blocks, Gleek finally arrived at Zim's and Tak's. "Aw, here we are," he said, pulling out the key to their house. "Your new home."

When they saw where they were going to stay, Zim's and Tak's eyes snapped open with awe. Their house was bigger than most houses. Their front lawn was easily 40-50 yards long, with nice, green, well kept grass growing in it. The house itself was around two stories high, and painted a nice shade of blue. Gleek handed the key to Tak, before leading them up the small stone pathway up to the front door. When she unlocked the door and opened it up, they both were in for another surprise. The inside of the house was incredibly clean. The first room was the living room, covered in soft red carpet. It had a large, comfy couch, with a large television screen about 15 feet in front of it. There was a couple of book shelves on either side of the couch, with books both from Irken culture and Mirikian culture. In between the couch and the television was a large glass coffee table. Next was the kitchen.

Compared to the small kitchen in the barracks back on Irk, the kitchens here was humongous. There was a large refrigerator/freezer to one side of the kitchen, which was filled with recently purchased produce and meats commonly found on Mirikia. Beside it were cabinets filled with different sizes of silverware, plates, and cups. Next to that was a recently cleaned cover. Above that was a spice rack, filled with different Mirikian herbs and spices. And in the middle of the kitchen was a dining room table.

"Upstairs is the bathroom, bedrooms, and in case you ever have any visitors, you have a couple of guestrooms," Gleek informed, letting out a tired sigh before taking a seat in a chair beside the dining room table. Still speechless from their amazing house, Zim and Tak took a seat across the table, looking around in disbelief. When it was clear that the two were overjoyed about their new home, the old Mirikian chuckled. "So, what do you think?" he asked, already having a good idea of what their response will be.

Tak slowly shook her head, trying to get back in touch with reality. "I-it's simply amazing, Elder Gleek," she answered breathlessly, looking back at the generous Mirikian. "These are the kind of homes not even high ranking Irken generals can afford. It's beautiful… But I have to ask you something." Curious, Elder Gleek leaned his head towards her and lifted one antenna. "Why are you giving us such a nice home? I mean, we've only just arrived today, and had only been permitted to stay here but mere hours ago."

Elder Gleek let out a soft, warm chuckle, causing Zim to turn around. "My dear girl, I know this is hard to believe, but the reason we are giving you two this house is because we feel you two deserve it." When his answer left Zim and Tak looking at him with confused expression, he explained further. "Out of all of the Irken refugees that have come to our planet, you two have had the most horrible experiences we have ever encountered. You both were completely loyal to the Tallest, but they ignored those qualities and tried to have you both killed. Most stories Irken refugees tell us are about how they aren't happy with the positions given to them."

Gleek let out another pleasant smile at the two before continuing. "And we all know you two made none of it up. While you two were telling us your reasons for being here, your vital signs were being monitored." This got a surprised look from Zim and Tak. "You see, in the center of the room where you were standing was a device that was measuring your heart rhythm. Whenever someone lies, there vital signs increase by a certain degree, letting us know how honest someone is being. But neither of you two set off that kind of a reading, telling us you both were being completely straight with us."

Zim scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously. "Umm… Not that I mind or anything, but are those the only reasons you gave us this place?"

Again, the elderly Mirikian smiled. "Well, those was _their_ reasons. There were a couple reasons I suggested giving you two this house." Zim and Tak looked at each other questionably, before looking back at Gleek. "One of the reasons was because of Zim's _participation _in Operation: Impending Doom I," he answered, getting a surprised look from Zim. "We were unprepared for a invasion that big at the time. But thanks to Zim screwing it up for them, it was delayed, giving us enough time to ready ourselves. So I thought it would make for a nice "Thank you" gift from Mirikia to you two."

Hearing that he was one of the reasons they got such a amazing house, Zim snickered proudly. "And the second reason," Gleek added, with a sly smile on his face, "is because this was one of the few free houses that was built to house a _couple_." The two Irkens blushed when they heard the second reason. "Most of the Irken refugees who come to Mirikia are alone. So if they do qualify to live here, they get a smaller house. But seeing as you two are obviously _mates_, we felt that a bigger house would fit your needs much better."

Tak blushed and looked down to one side nervously. "Umm… Th-thank you, Elder Gleek," she replied awkwardly, feeling a little strange after the _"mates" _comment.

"Please, you can just call me Gleek," he replied humbly. "You don't have to address me as "Elder Gleek" unless you are a soldier on official business. We don't cling to titles or ranks like in the Irken Empire." After thinking for a second, Gleek remembered something. "Oh! That reminds me," he said, looking back at Zim and Tak curiously. "Do you two have any idea what type of jobs you want?"

The two Irken refugees smiled and nodded their heads. "Well, I guess. I was thinking I could try applying to join the Mirikian Military," Tak answered. She than pointed at Zim with his thumb. "And Zim was thinking about putting his scientific creativity to good use." Zim nodded his head, agreeing with what she said. "We feel that since the Tallest tried so hard to have us killed, the best way to get back at them is to join the fight _against _them."

Gleek took a minute to think about their request. He leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling, stroking his long beard. "Well, I don't see any reasons that can't happen," he finally replied happily, before pulling himself up. Zim and Tak smiled. "I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, why don't you two get settled in. I'll have Hickash swing by here with you Spittle, in case you have any belongings still aboard."

_**Meanwhile, Back on Earth….**_

By the time Did, Gaz and their father made it to the city. But when they actually saw the city, their hearts fell with dismay. The city practically resembled the scene from a movie where it was taking place after a nuclear holocaust. Large groups of people were being led into the center of the city by weapon carrying Irken Invaders and mutated experiments. Dib looked up into the sky. The sky was gray, with VOOT Cruisers and Spittle Runners zigzagging back and forth across it. 'Wow, Zim wasn't kidding when he said the Tallest were after him and Tak,' Dib thought, as they neared the middle of the destroyed city. 'What the hell could Zim have done to get _THIS_ many enemies? I mean, the guy was a little irritating. But come on, his entire race wants him dead? What on Earth could he have done?' Finally, they reached the center off the city.

There wasn't a building standing within a 50 square block radius. Now, it was all smoldering mounds of rubble. Restaurants, shopping malls, post offices, everything. When the Massive landed, it smashed down everything. But in doing so, almost every person in the city was herded into many different groups with guards surrounding them. He and his family was thrown into a random group of civilians, numbering around 400. He looked around, trying to figure out what was going on.

'What are they doing?' Dib thought, not knowing what the Invaders were doing. 'They invaded our planet, defeated our military, and took over our city. But they aren't doing anything.' He then saw Irkens combing through all the crowds, with a small video monitor in their hands. When he figured out what they were doing, he chuckled. 'Ha! Those idiots must be looking for Zim and Tak,' Dib thought. 'Too bad he isn't even on this _**PLANET**_! You morons will be looking forever.'

But, to his surprise, he noticed that they weren't looking for Zim or Tak. No. They were pulling out _children_. His classmates, to be precise. 'What the-?'

"You, big-headed kid!" Dib's eyes shot open when he heard that name. He and his family turned to see a different Irken Invader, who had pushed through the crowd of civilians surrounding them. He was wielding a Plasma Rifle, with a long purplish staff attached to his PAK. "The Tallest wish to meet with you, meat-sack." The Invader reached back and pulled out the purple staff from his PAK. "So come with me immediately, or I'll…" But suddenly, Professor Membrane stepped in between Dib and the Invader.

"Don't you dare lay so much as a finger on my children, alien," he growled, with his folded across his chest, and looked down sternly on the green being. "If your leaders wish to speak to anyone here, it might as well be me. My name is Professor James Membrane. I am considered one of the greatest scientific minds of my generation, and the head scientist at Area 51. If it is our technological advances in alien technology you want, then…."

_ZAP!_

All of a sudden, the end of the staff started to spark with electricity. Without warning, the Irken Invader pressed it against Professor Membrane's side, causing him to tumble to the ground unconscious. Dig panicked, and rushed to his father's side. "He'll wake up in about five to ten minutes," the alien sighed, pointing the staff directly at Dib. "But since the Tallest want to see you, I have been informed that I am _NOT_ to shock you. But if you give me any lip like your old man did, I'll claim you were trying to kill me." He moved the tip of the staff closer to Dib's face. "Do we have a understanding, meat-sack?" Dib looked at the electrified staff, which was only a few inches from his face, gulped, and nodded his head. "Good. Now come with me." The Invader got behind Dib and pressed the barrel of his Laser Rifle against his back… But all of the sudden, the Invader chuckled, pulled the barrel away and pressed the end of his staff to Dib's back. "Never mind. I like doing this too much."

"Wha..?"

_ZAP!_

_**Ten Minutes Later….**_

"Oh… My head," Dib groaned, as he came back to consciousness. He felt like he was drained of all his energy. His head was spinning, his limbs were numb, and his stomach felt as if it was doing back flips. "I feel like I just went on an all day Bloaty's Pizza binge. How many freaking volts did that damn thing hit me with?"

"He's awake." Dib stopped complaining about his head when he heard the familiar voice. Was that who he thought it was? "Hey Dib? Are you alright?" As his energy started returning to him, Dib slowly started opening his eyes. When he looked up, he saw Zita kneeling beside him, with a damp washcloth in her hand. **( You know who I'm talking about. The girl with the spiky purple hair, black hair band, wears a purple and black striped dress? Yeah. That one. I decided to make this story a DAZR (Dib and Zita Romans) as well. Whatcha think? )** As he looked up at his classmate, he noticed she had a panicked look on her face. "You've been out for almost ten minutes. I thought you were in a coma or something." she said, wiping the sweat from Dib's forehead with the damp washcloth.

Confused, Dib stiffly turned his head to see where he was. To his surprise, he saw all his other classmates. And after inspecting his surroundings, he figured out that he was at Skool. For some reason, the Invaders were gathering him and his classmates up and tossing him into Ms. Bitters' now empty classroom. "Aw, what's going on?" Dib asked, trying to stand up on his own.

"I don't know," Zita answered, helping Dib to his feet. "They didn't tell us. They just threw us in here and won't let us go. Then their leaders, the "Tallest" came in and asked all of us about what happened to Zim and Tak… And even though we keep on telling them we didn't know where they were, they refused to let us go." Zita pointed at the window. When Dib turned around, he saw that there were multiple armed Invaders marching back and forth in front of the building, ensuring no one would escape. He then looked outside the classroom window, and saw two Invaders guarding it. "They have the entire Skool surrounded," Zita continued, sitting up against wall. "They said they won't let us go until their leaders talk to us…" Zita scratched the back of her head, and looked down to the ground timidly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Dib said, turning back around to face her, "I was just zapped was all. But thanks for your con…" His sentence was cut short when he saw Zita's dress. There was a large amount of dried blood staining it, right underneath her collar. Bib looked at Zita with a startled expression, alarmed at the blood on her clothes. "Oh crap! Are you alright Zita?"

Zita looked at her bloody dress, and nodded. "Yeah. I'm not hurt or anything," she answered, rather quietly. "This isn't my blood. It's my…" She paused, and looked down to the ground. Dib watched as Zita suddenly clenched her fists, and bit down on her bottom lip. "It's my p-parents' blood…" Zita started shaking. "Wh-when the aliens tried to t-take me away with th-them, my parents tried to st-stop them." Dib watched as tears started to building up in Zita's eyes. "Th-then, when my p-parents refused to give m-me up," she continued, trying her best not to cry, "they p-pulled out their guns a-and shot th-them in th-the…" Zita took in a sharp breath, and decided not to finish the sentence. "They shot them r-right in front o-of me, a-and…" The poor girl couldn't take it anymore. Zita fell to her knees and started crying into her hands.

Dib's heart broke when he witnessed this. Zita was without a doubt, in his mind, one of the toughest girl's he has ever met besides his sister. She gets into more fights with both boys and girls than anyone else in the Skool. Whenever someone got "smart" or "smug" with her, she'd make it clear that she wasn't going to tolerate it. Sometimes, Dib would find Zita a little bit more scary than Gaz. But only on rare occasions, though… Mainly when it was _him _who she was mad at. But seeing her actually _cry _in front of him was something he would've never thought he'd ever see.

"M-m-my parents a-are d-dead," she whimpered, with tears pouring down her face, soaking the collar of her dress. "Th-they shot th-th-them right in th-the head… R-right in f-front of me." She was biting down on her bottom lip so hard, she was close to drawing blood. Dib scratched the back of his neck, trying to figure out what to do. On one hand, besides Zim, Zita was the runner up in Dib's Most Annoying Enemies list. She was always making fun of him for believing aliens were coming, about him seeing Big Foot in his garage, about Zim being an alien, everything. They've even got into a _physical _fight once ( Started by Dib, obviously ) where Zita knocked him out, resulting in him being ridiculed for the two weeks that followed.

But on the other hand, he knew she was going through a lot right now. Zita had just witnessed her parents get shot and killed right in front of her. Normally, when someone he hated was in such a vulnerable state like this, he would take advantage of the moment. But now? Right after her parents had just got killed? 'No… I may not like her, but that would be going _WAY_ too far,' Dib concluded, as he walked up behind her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Zita."

All of a sudden, the doors were kicked open. The two Irken Invaders that were guarding the door walked in, with Tallest Red and Tallest Purple following behind them. Red, with a sour expression on his face, looked around the classroom and shook his head. "My Irk, Purple. Isn't this the most pathetic sight you even did see?" he asked aloud, getting everyone's attention. "I mean, their entire army fell within a mere few hours to our Invaders. It's just sad, isn't it?" Purple nodded his head and smirked, as the two leaders stood in the front of the class.

"So try, Red," Purple agreed, "so very sad indeed. Even the Glaknorchs of the primal planet of Feariliana put up more of a fight. And they only used stones and spears."

Zita looked up at the Tallest with a tear filled glare. "You bastards! You murdering bastards," she cried, as Dib held her back from blindly charging at the guarded Irken leaders. "What do you two want from us?" Zita asked furiously, as she clawed wildly at Red and Purple with the intent to kill. "Out of all the people in the city, you want to talk to us! Why? What the hell do we…" Her sentence was cut off when one of the guards pulled out another stun staff, and thrust it at her. But Dib pulled both of them back, just far enough to get out of the reach of the electrified end.

"Calm yourself, little Earthling," Red said, as he signaled the guard to back off. Zita continued to glare daggers at the Tallest when Dib finally convinced her to stay calm. "We are just here to get some answers is all. All we want to know is where Zim is. Then, we'll leave."

"But we keep on telling you the same thing," another student shouted. "We don't know where that freak Zim is! Why is that so hard to understand?"

"Yeah! None of us even liked him to begin with," agreed another. "Why would _we _know where that weirdo is? He never bothered telling us where he would go."

Red shook his head and chuckled. "You're right, little Earthlings," he answered. "We know of Zim's _uniqueness_. And we kinda figured _most_ of you didn't know that Zim was actually an alien." Everyone looked at one another, surprised. Red raised a eyebrow and put his hands on his hips. "The guy had _green_ skin, no nose or ears, three fingers and a lizard-like tongue… Are you guys seriously telling us that none of you thought that was slightly odd?"

Before any of the students could say anything, Dib cleared his throat. "Okay, before I tell you were Zim is," he began, getting everyone's attention, "I'd like to say something first." Looking at each other curiously, Red and Purple nodded their heads. So, Dib walked up to the front of the class, turned, and faced the others. "Ahem… I TOLD YOU HE WAS A ALIEN! HAHAHA! I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU!" Dib started gloating ecstatically, pointing at the others and doing a victory dance. "I kept on telling you he was a alien, but none of you listened! But I was right! Hahahahahahaha!" Finally, after almost a full minute of gloating, Dib calmed himself. "Whoa… That felt good."

"Okay, enough of this." Suddenly, Tallest Red reached out, grabbed Dib by the collar of his shirt and lifted him into the air. The tall Irken ruler looked up at the human boy with a angry glare, and tightened his grip on his trench coat collar. "Okay _Dib_," he growled, "we know _you_ knew Zim was a alien. And since you seem so obsessed with exposing him, it would be logical to assume that you know where he and Tak went to… So, either you tell us immediately, or we start killing your classmates." All of the other students gasped and looked at Dib.

Dib grinned mischievously, and opened his mouth to answer. But after thinking about what to say, Dib's eyes snapped open. He didn't remember what lie to tell the Tallest. He couldn't remember the name of the planet Zim told him to tell them. 'Oh damnit! Where was it?' Dib thought, looking back and forth nervously, with both Red and Purple still staring at him curiously. 'Was it Planet _Mathesh_? Planet _Mirakia_? Planet _Mashesh_? Planet _Mesheth_?'

"Hmmm… Seeing as you are having trouble remembering," Red snarled, narrowing his eyes at the stalling Dib, "maybe we should help jog your memory." He looked at one of his guards, and nudged his head at Zita. Understanding what his leader meant, the Invader nodded his head, and withdrew a Plasma Pistol. "If you don't "remember" real soon," Red continued, as the guard pressed the barrel of his gun against Zita's head, "then your little friend there gets her pretty little head blown off."

Dib looked back to see the smirking Invader pressing the end of his Plasma Pistol against Zita's temple. He looked at Zita, and saw that she had her eyes snapped close, with tears of fear rolling down her face. 'Crap,' Dib thought. 'What do I tell them? What do I do?' He looked back at Red, who had on an "all powerful" smug grin to his face. But then, remembering something, Dib was struck with an idea. "Oh. I remember where he is," he lied, getting a satisfied look from Red and Purple. "He said he was… *Cough!* *Cough!* He said he and Tak were going t… *Cough!* *Cough!* They were going to M… *Cough!* *Cough!*" Before Dib could tell the Tallest where Zim and Tak were, he started coughing violently and uncontrollably, interrupting his sentences.

"What's wrong, Earthling?" Purple asked, rolling his eyes.

"W-w-water," Dib gasped, " I n-need *Cough!* w-water." The Tallest looked at one another. "I-I'm de-*Cough!* dehydrated… I n-need *Cough!* water. P-please."

"Oh, for Irk's sake," Red growled, smacking himself in the face. He turned his attention to all of the other students. "Does anyone have any water with them?"

"I-I have some." Everyone turned their attention to Zita, who timidly raised her hand. She looked at the alien leaders with a nervous gaze, with sweat rolling down her forehead. "There's s-some in my b-backpack… I-I can go get it, if th-that's okay." After exchanging glances, Red and Purple nodded. Reluctantly, the Invader pulled the Plasma Pistol from the side of Zita's head. Dib continued to "cough" violently as Zita walked to the back of the room to fetch her backpack. But the guards kept their pistols aimed squarely on the girl as she walked up to the front of the class.

"Th-thanks Zita," Dib thanked, as Red lowered him down so that he could accept that water bottle from Zita. When he grabbed the water bottle from Zita, he took a large drink. Dib's cheeks swelled up with water, getting a few curious looks for both the Invaders and his classmates. Dib then looked at the Tallest with a sly smirk. "This might sting a little," he gargled, before spraying out a mist of water at the Tallest and the one guard.

_**HIIIIIIISSSSSS!**_

"AAAAAAHHHHHH! OH MY IRK! THE PAIN!" All of the Invaders cried in agony and fell to the floor blinded, as Dib was dropped to the ground. Without even missing a beat, Dib swung back around and sent the last of the water at the last guard. _SPLASH! __**HIIIIISSS! **_The guard let out a agonizing scream and fell to the ground, his skin boiling and smoking. Everyone watched in amazement as Dib grabbed the electrified staff from one of the Invaders and pressed the button, electrifying the end. "Lights out," he growled, taking a large, circular swing, smacking all of the four aliens.

_ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!_

In one foul swoop, the end of the staff smacked against Tallest Red, Tallest Purple and the two guards. All four Invaders fell to the ground unconscious. "Quick," Dib barked, turning to Zita and the rest of his classmates, "grab the Plasma Pistols, Plasma Rifles and staffs. We only have five to ten minutes before they wake back up. Follow me and keep quiet. If we keep out of sight, we can sneak to my garage…"

"What are you talking about Dib?" Dib's orders were cut off when he heard one of his classmates. "We aren't going out there. We'll get killed out there. Are you insane?" All of the other students agreed, all except Zita, who _did_ grab a Plasma Pistol. "We aren't going outside just to get massacred."

Dib stared at his classmates, not believing what he was hearing. They wanted to stay here, and not try to escape? "What are you guys talking about? We need to get out of here," Dib growled. "If you stay here, you'll all die."

But when he suggested that, another classmate stood up. "No, _you'll_ be the one who will die," he corrected, pointing at Dib. "Because _you_ were the one who attacked and knocked out the alien leaders. _We_ didn't do anything."

"…" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Even though he was proven right about Zim being an alien, even though he had just knocked out the Tallest and their guards for _their_ freedom, they didn't want to come with him. Dib looked at each one of them, getting all the same looks. "You can't be serious," he sighed, messaging the bridge of his nose. "You guys are seriously going to stay here and _hope_ that the Tallest will be merciful?" Everyone nodded. "Okay. Fine. Stay here and die," he groaned, sneaking up to the door. 'God, there guys a retarded,' he thought, making sure his Plasma Rifle was charged. 'I can't believe they can be _this_ stupid! Sure, they are stupid. But this is a whole new le…'

Then, he noticed that he wasn't the only one that was up against the wall next to the door. He turned and saw Zita, with a Plasma Pistol drawn. When he was about to say something, she cut him off. "You were right Dib," Zita began, looking down at the ground. "You were right about everything. About Zim being an idiot, about aliens coming to invade us, everything… That's why I'm going to stick with you."

_**To Be Continued….**_

Hmm… Things are getting interesting. Zim and Tak are getting a whole new and better life, while things are only getting worse for Dib and the rest of Earth. But it seems that Dib was forced to fight back against his aliens enemies. But, luckily, he won't be doing it alone. _Another_ one of Dib's enemies will be helping him, Zita. And just a little heads up. The next chapters will be mainly about Earth's struggle against the Irken Invaders. There will be some parts about Zim's and Tak's new life that will be mentioned, but the main focus will be on Earth. But how will all this turn out? Until next time. _**PLEASE CONTACT ME IF ANY OF YOU SEE ANY SPELLING OR GRAMMAR MISTAKE, SO I CAN CORRECT THEM IMMEDIATELY!**_


	12. Fighting Back

Rating: T

Pairing: Zim/Tak, Dib/Zita

Author's Notes: Hahahaha! Greetings my fellow meat-sacks! It is I, Mr. Alaska, here with another update of the best Invader Zim fanfic ever to grace FanFiction! I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so sorry that it's been so long since I've updated. You have absolutely how busy I am now that I'm a senior. Job, college applications, my cross-country vacation, last year of high school! I AM OVER MY HEAD! But, onto other and more important things. When we left off last time, Earth was going all to shit. Irkens have invaded and taken over Earth, invaders and horrific genetic experiments are roaming the streets, and Earth is one it's last leg. So far, the only hope for Earth's salvation lies squarely in the hands of Dib and Zita. They are severely outnumbered and out-gunned. And their only hope of fighting back is to get to Zim's old base. There, they might find a temporary solution to their problems… _**MAYBE**_… So sit back, relax, grab something to munch on, and enjoy the insanity that is oozing from my mind-holes! HAIL MR. ALASKA!

Chapter 12: Fighting Back

Dib and Zita slipped into classroom after classroom, heading towards the back of the Skool. Dib had just zapped the Tallest and their guards into unconsciousness two minutes earlier, and it was unsure how long they will stay unconscious… So they were kinda pressed for time

The two ran down low beside the walls of the hallway, low enough so that they were underneath the large windows. Because outside, there were squads of invaders and mutants patrolling the streets. So slowly and quietly, they kept underneath the windows. Dib turned to Zita. "Okay," he whispered, "we'll go and hide out in the cafeteria. When the Tallest wake up, all nearby squads will rush to where they were attacked. Then, we'll sneak out the back of the cafeteria, and hide in a nearby building."

Zita didn't answer verbally. She merely looked up to him with emotionless eyes and nodded. So, seeing as they had a understanding, Dib and Zita continued onward. 'Okay,' Dib thought, 'we are overran with alien invaders and mutants, our military has been defeated and both Zim and Tak, the only ones who actually know something about invaders are gone… I don't like those odds.' The two continued down the halls until they reached the cafeteria.

When they entered the lunchroom, everything was turned over. The lunch tables, chairs, cash register, everything. Apparently, when news of the world "ending" was made, there was some sort of riot here, even though there wouldn't have been kids at the Skool that early in the morning… But Did forgot about that and led Zita to behind the lunch counter. The two slid over the counter and dropped to their knees, staying out of sight of any passing patrol of invaders or mutants.

Now it was time to play the waiting game. Dib let out a tired sigh and slumped up beside the counter, laying his Plasma Rifle on the ground beside him. Then he looked over at Zita. She had been quiet ever since she told him she was tagging along… Though, Dib couldn't blame her. What do you talk about when your planet gets taken over and your parents are killed right in front of you? But, Dib felt that he should at least try.

He let out another sigh and looked to her. "We will have to be quick and quiet when we cross the street," he began, in a voice that was little above a whisper. "Zim's house was also his alien base. Before he left, he gave it to me, since he didn't want it to go to waste." Zita gave him a surprised and curious expression when she heard this. "I'll explain later," Dib added. "But it's about a half mile or so from here, so we have a ways to go still. But if we can get there, I might be able to find something that could help us."

"… Okay Dib," she said, sitting up against the counter beside Dib. Honestly though, Dib didn't think it was as easy as he made it out to be. And he expected Zita to at least suggest something or object to something like she always does. When Dib gave Zita a questionable look, she sighed. "Look, you were right, okay? So seeing as you know more than me about alien invaders, and seeing how serious this whole situation is, you will be making all the decisions." Zita looked at here Plasma Pistol, and gripped it tight. "I just want revenge."

"…" Dib was silent at first. But then he smirked. "Well, if you stick with me, than you can have all the revenge you want… But it will have to wait," he added, scratching the back of his neck. "We can't take them on directly… At least not until we have some numbers of our own. We have to first focus on getting to Zim's house." Understanding what Dib meant, Zita nodded.

After five more minutes of waiting, their moment had finally come. The squads of invaders and mutants stopped in their tracks and reached up to their headsets. Then, they all started running towards the front of the Skool. "Now, now," Dib hissed, grabbing Zita by the hand and leading her out the back doors of the cafeteria. They didn't have much time for stalling, so Dib didn't even bother to look outside before dashing outside, nearly dragging Zita behind him. By sheer dumb luck, there were no patrols of invaders or mutants in that immediate area.

"In there," Dib said, pointing at the abandoned Stop n' Eat **(Equivalent to a Mom n' Pops or a In n' Out gas station) **across the street. "We can hide out there for now." The two dashed across the street and made it inside the abandoned gas station.

It was a complete mess inside. All of the shelves were overturned, junk food littered the whole floor, the cash register was on the floor, emptied out, and all the windows were busted out. And the back door, leading into the alley behind in, was broken down. 'Another riot,' Dib thought, picking up a few bags of chips and putting them in his backpack. He then walked to the refrigerators where all the drinks were, and saw that nearly everything was emptied out. But thankfully, there were some bottles of water left. 'Wow… This is almost just like in Fallout 3... Minus the nuclear holocaust and zombie-fied people.'

When Dib turned to Zita, he was mildly surprised at what she had done while he was getting chips and water. She had managed to push up some toppled shelves and push them in front of the broken windows, making it so no one would be able so see inside without coming in through the front door. But when he was about to say something, another voice was heard.

"Hold on Glishik, I'm hungry." At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, Zita and Dib both dove behind the counter, right before the a mutant walked in through the back door from the alley behind the store. The mutant looked like a cross between a leopard and a human, standing around 6'2". He had a slender body, which was covered in the fur of a leopard. He was wearing nothing but a pair of black combat pants, which was decorated with grenades of different types. As he held his Plasma Rifle in one hand, he reached up with his other hand so he could continue talking into his headset. "Sure, I'll find something for you if I see something… Fine, something meaty… Alright."

The mutant turned off his headset off, he started sniffing around. "Hmmm… I smell something," he growled aloud, turning his attention to the counter in the far side of the store. He took a couple of more sniffs, and licked his lips. "Whatever it is, it smells good." Unfortunately for Dib and Zita, there was a pack of hotdogs opened up on the counter they were hiding behind. The mutants placed his Plasma Rifle on the ground and walked over to the counter. He reached out and grabbed the hotdogs, when he smelt something else. Curious as to what the smell was, he peeked his head over the counter. All of a sudden…

_ZAP!_

Before he could even react to seeing the two kids, Dib thrust his staff into the mutant's chest, resulting in the mutant sliding forward and falling behind the counter with Dib and Zita, unconscious. Dib quickly patted the unconscious mutant down and took off of his grenades. He had four Plasma Grenades, two Poison Gas Grenades, and a Plasma Pistol. Dib divided up the grenades evenly with Zita, and took the Plasma Pistol. "Take the Plasma Rifle," Dib said, pointing at the Plasma Rifle the mutant sat down, "and get on the right side of the back door. I'll be on the other side, and I want you to tell me if you see anything."

Zita nodded her head, picked the Plasma Pistol up, and made her way to the back door. When Dib got on the other side, Zita peeked outside. There weren't any invaders or mutants on her end. But when Dib peeked out his side, he saw a large shadow coming down the alley. He started taking steps backwards, and motioned for Zita to do the same thing.

"Chitagich! What is takin' you so long?" Hiding behind shelves that were still standing, Zita and Dib watched the second mutant walk in. This one was like the first one. Except he was taller, and had a more muscular body. He looked around, wondering where his comrade went. "Chitagich? Where are ya?" When he didn't get a answer, he sniffed the air. He caught his friend's scent, and ran over to the counter. When he looked over, he saw Chitagich, unconscious. "What in the..?"

_ZAP!_

Dib charged forward and jabbed the staff into the mutant's back… But for some reason, he didn't fall. Glishik turned around abruptly, reaching down and grabbing Dib by the neck, lifting him into the air. "Well, well, well… What do we have here?" He asked aloud, tightening his grip around Dib's throat. "I see you manage to get Chitagich with that little staff thing… But I've been zapped by that thing so much, I'm immune to it… Sucks for you, huh big-headed human?" Then, after licking his lips, Glishik opened his jagged tooth filled mouth, and prepared to bite down on Dib's head. Then…

_ZAPP!_

_SPLAT!_

A plasma blast flew past Dib's head and connected with Glishik's. When the plasma blast struck the mutant's head, it pretty much exploded, sending bits of brain and skull all over the store and Dib. Dib, covered in blood, fell to the ground when the headless body released it's grip on him, and in turn, fell onto the unconscious body of Chitagich. The force of the dead body falling on him woke Chitagich. The mutant shot up to see his friend's headless body laying across him. "Oh my..!"

_ZAPP!_

_SPLAT!_

Another plasma blast shot out and struck Chitagich in the head, having the same effects it had on Glishik. Startled, Dib turned around, to see Zita holding a steaming Plasma Rifle. The purple-haired girl looked at Dib and shot him an innocent smile. "What? My dad used to take me hunting with him."

"…" Dib just stared at her for a second, before chuckling awkwardly. "H-hehehe… Lucky me, eh?" After brushing the blood off him, he thanked Zita, and continued doing what he was trying to do before Glishik showed up. And thankfully, the sounds of a Plasma Rifle wasn't loud enough to attract any unwanted attention, because there wasn't any invaders or mutants coming from his side. And when Zita confirmed that her side was clear, the both slowly got into the alley and walked over to open the door on the opposite side.** (Basically, there are buildings lining the street. And behind those buildings, there are another line of buildings facing the street in front of them. Does that paint a better picture?) **

The building behind the Stop n' Eat was a pizza place called Hartmann's Pizza Paradise. It, being a restaurant, wasn't ransacked like the Stop n' Eat. It only had it's windows broken and it's cash register cleaned out. After closing the doors behind them, Dib and Zita slowly made their way to the front counter on their knees. They were on their knees because they knew they weren't alone.

"And I said that not a Sachishian Slithering Weasel in my pocket, I'm just happy to see you!"

"HAHHAHAHA! Man, you're too funny. I wish I could've seen her face." On the other side of the counter sat two Irken invaders, sitting at a table eating a pizza. They were supposed to be on patrol, but, like every Irken, they had a thing for snacks. So, they went to Hartmann's and decided to take a break. "So what did she do then? Did you mate with her or what? Spill it man," continued the second invader, as he took another piece of pizza.

As the two continued the conversation, Dib slowly and quietly opened up his backpack, quiet enough so it wouldn't alert the Irkens near by. He pulled out a bottle of water, took a big gulp, and gave the bottle to Zita. When she got what he was getting at, she nodded her head and took the bottle. After taking a mouthful of water, they both crept their way to the end of the counter.

But when they were about to spring their ambush, one of the Irkens stood up. "Well, I guess we should get back to our post before Jargious finds out we're gone," the invader sighed, picking up the Plasma Rifle he had leaning against the table.

"Yeah," agreed the second one, grabbing his Plasma Pistol, "if he finds out we abandoned our post, he'll skin us alive." And with that, the two invaders walked out the door to return to their patrol route.

Seeing as attacking them was now uncalled for, Dib and Zita gulped down the water in their mouths. "Damn," Dib sighed, leaning against the back of the counter, "this is gonna be harder than I thought." When Did wiped the sweat from his forehead, he looked down at his blood-stained clothes. Then he sighed and looked up to Zita. "Thanks for saving me back there…"

"You're welcome," Zita replied, peeking over the counter to see if there were anymore invaders or mutants roaming the streets. There were still invaders out there, patrolling the streets. "There are still aliens out there," she announced, turning back to Dib.

Dib took a second to look around the pizza place. He knew the owner Roy Hartmann lived in his restaurant. And after scanning the back of the kitchen, he saw a door was opened in the back, with a flight of stairs leading upward. "There," he whispered, pointing to the door. "If we get onto the roof, we could jump from building to building, covering more ground."

Thinking that it was a good idea ( and the fact she didn't have one of her own ) Zita nodded her head and followed Dib up the stairs. They crept as slowly and as quietly as possible, not knowing if there would be anything up there or not. Dib pulled out two Plasma Pistols, and charged them up in between steps. Zita followed, with her Plasma Rifle fully charged as well. Before reaching the final few steps, they both stopped and listened closely. And after 20 seconds of listening, and NOT hearing anything, they continued up the stairs. But when they walked through the doorway, however….

_CLICK! CLICK! _"Okay alien scum, prepare to d…. What the hell?" All of a sudden, Roy Hartmann dashed from out of nowhere and shoved two 9mm Glocks in Dib's and Zita's faces.

Roy Clay Hartmann was a large/well-built man with a white Horseshoe mustache, weighing close to 250lbs and in his early 70s'. The reason for his fitness for his advanced age was because he was a World War 2 veteran who fought Hitler's army in Germany. Being of German descent himself, and hearing Hitler claiming anyone of German blood are the master race, Roy thought the best way to say "Screw you, Hitler," would to go and fight against him. So, even after the war, he kept himself in reasonably good shape cholesterol and blood-pressure wise. He was wearing military issued combat boots, with a Ka-Bar Knife attached to each one. He also had on a pair of camouflage pants, a bulletproof vest with a camouflage jacket over it.

Squinting at the two children, Roy took his guns out of their faces. "What are you children doing out here, brandishing those alien weapons?" He asked, putting his guns on "Safety" and putting them in the holsters attached to his belt. "Don't you know it is more dangerous than D-Day out there? You both could've been killed."

To be 100% honest, both Dib and Zita were still in a mild case of shock from have a gun in their face. But after realizing they weren't in danger from the old man, sighed in relief. "We escaped from the aliens who captured us. We've been ducking in and out of buildings trying to get to my base? And when we came h…"

"Wow, wow, wow," Roy interrupted, "did you just say _your base_?"

Nodding, Dib sighed, knowing that he'd have to tell him the ENTIRE story of Zim.

_**One Long Explanation Later **_

"Okay, let me get this straight," Roy said, lighting up a cigar. "This "Zim" came to Earth to conquer it for his leaders, these "Tallest" guys, right?" Dib nodded. "And you've been fighting this Zim alien for nearly a year now?" Again, Dib nodded. "Then this female alien…"

"They're called Irkens," Dib corrected.

Roy raised a eyebrow. "Right, right…. So this female _Irken_, who you and Zim beat once already, comes back to kill Zim again. Then, it erupted into a comedic prank war between the two for some reason…. Which ended with a near fight to the death? Then, this "Tak's" weird robot exploded, nearly killing them both, courteous of their back-stabbing leaders?" Dib nodded again. "Then they sent that giant lizard-man-thing to Earth to kill them both, which ended with Zim killing _it _instead. And before they both left Earth forever, Zim gave you his base and all its secrets as a peace offering for all the times you two have fought. And now you two are trying to get back to the base without getting caught in hopes of finding a way to combat this alien invaders? That's what you're trying to tell me?"

Dib shrugged his shoulders. "Well, there is more dept to the whole story. But I gave to the summery of it…. So yeah. That's the story."

There was a long, awkward silence between the three, with Roy staring at the two as he smoked his cigar. Then, in a puff of smoke, Roy hunched his shoulders and sighed. "Hell, with all the shit happening nowadays, I can't honestly tell you you're crazy. The fact that we're being invaded by aliens, and the fact you seem to know specific stuff about them makes it hard _not _to believe you."

As Roy put out his cigar on the floor and began walking to the closet in the far corner of the room, Zita cleared her throat. "S-so, umm…. W-will you help us?" She asked nervously.

Roy opened his closet, and pulled out a Saiga Shotgun. "Well, seeing as I'm the only responsible adult available at this point, I can't let you two kids venture out on your own, can I?" Needless to say, Dib and Zita were surprised to hear the old man agree to such a outrageous request. And when Zita was about to question him, he interrupted.

"I've lived a full life," he began, in a soft, wise voice. "I've married the woman I've loved since high school, had five sons, fought for my country, came out of it, started this restaurant and lived a happy life. Now my possibly last responsibility in this life is to keep you two safe," he loaded his shotgun, "no matter what the cost." He took a deep breath, and finished. "I believe we were put on this Earth for a purpose. Mine? I believe I was put here to help the next generation survive, no matter how old I get. Now, with our world being invaded, I take it upon myself to finish up my purpose."

"…" Dib and Zita were struck speechless by what they just heard. They have just met this man no more than five minutes ago, and here he is, ready to die to protect them. To hear this man they've _just_ met say he'd make sure they survived this ordeal was… sobering.

"Th-thank you, Mr. Hartmann," Zita stammered, not believing her own ears. Up till now, she questioned if she and Dib would even make it to Zim's base. But now… she had a little more hope.

With a tired smile, Roy looked down at them. "You can call me Roy. And you're both welcome." Roy turned to the closet to collect the rest of his weapons into a gym bag. It all consisted of a box of smoke, flash-bang, and M67 grenades, a Dragonov Sniper Rifle with 100 additional bullets, a Saiga Shotgun, a simple Slingshot with some small metal pallets, binoculars, night-vision goggles, and some throwing knives. When he was all packed, Dib and Zita stared at him, shocked to see how many weapons he had on his person.

"What can I say?" He asked. "I've been collecting weapons for damn near 20 years. I have a storage locker with more, but seeing as it is nearly three miles away, I can't see the possibility or reason to try to get there now." After putting the straps around his shoulder, Dib cleared his throat.

"Umm…. If you want, you can use some of our weapons," he offered, handing him a Plasma Pistol. "They might help you more in case we do have to fight, you know?"

Roy smiled as he led the two up another flight of stairs, leading to the roof. "Thanks, but no thanks." Hearing this confused the two kids. "If there is a fight between me and those freaks out there, I want to send a little piece of Earth to them… one bullet at a time. And besides," he said, opening the door that leads to the roof, "you both know how the saying goes, right?" Dib and Zita looked at one another, not knowing what he was talking about. So Roy specified. "The saying goes, "_A old tiger sensing his end is at his most fierce_," or something like that…"

But now that they were atop the roof, they had to get serious and stay quiet. Getting into the prone position, the three slowly made their way across the top of the building. When they made it to the edge of the building, Roy motioned for the two to stay down. Slowly and cautiously, Roy peeked his head over the edge of the rooftop, and scanned the streets below for any invaders or mutants.

And unfortunately, there was, in fact, a squad of seven Invaders marching down the street that the building overlooked.

'Aaahhhh…. This brings back some memories,' Roy thought, reaching down to his boot to get to one of his Ka-Bar Knives. Using the sharp metal knife, he managed to gouge out a whole brick from the chimney they were next to. 'I remember pulling this trick off in Germany. Those Krauts didn't know what hit them.' Dib and Zita watched in confusion, wondering what the elderly man could possibly be up to. Then, on his back, Roy extended his arm and with a mighty heave, sent the brick soaring across the sky, over the Irkens' heads, and into the windshield of an abandoned car across the street from them.

And just as Roy predicted, the startled aliens made they way towards the abandoned car with their weapons drawn, not knowing what broke the windshield. "Now, now," Roy hissed, signaling the children to jump onto the next building. Not hesitating, Dib and Zita leapt onto the other building, with Roy following afterwards. Taking another peek, Roy saw that the Invaders were still fixated on the car, who's alarm started going off. "Keep going," he whispered, "while they're still distracted."

So the three scurried across the top of the second roof as quickly and as quietly as possible, before leaping onto the third rooftop.

But as he, Zita and Roy made it onto the third rooftop, something finally hit Dib. '…. Wow…. This is really happening,' he thought, realizing the overall severity of the situation. 'This isn't like when I fought with Zim…. This is life or death. If we screw up, we're dead…' Dib glanced at Roy, who took yet another peek at the Invaders across the street. 'And this guy is acting as if this is nothing. He's not panicking, nervous, or even scared at the fact that his planet was being overran by alien invaders…. Is this guy for real?'

"Dib?" His thoughts were interrupted by Zita, who was poking him in the shoulder. Dib shook his head, clearing his mind. "Dib, did you hear Roy?" She asked.

Dib shook his head. "No…. Sorry, I was spacing out."

Roy crawled up to the two. "I said there is another group of aliens coming to join the first group. We should hurry before they decide to investigate." So, instead of jumping to the fourth rooftop, Roy lead Dib and Zita towards the fire-escape on the other side of the building. As they near the ladders, Roy turned to Dib. "Tell me what the base looks like." The request confused Dib, but nevertheless, he gave a good description of Zim's base. "Oh yeah, I've passed there many time," Roy said, "so that's an alien base?" Dib nodded his head.

So Roy took point with his Saiga Shotgun, slowly leading Dib and Zita down the fire-escape. Thankfully, there weren't any Invaders or mutants patrolling this street. And the second the reached the street below, they immediately ducked into the dark alley between the two buildings. Roy glanced down the street from behind the building, and saw two lone Irken soldiers making their way in their ( Dib's, Zita's and Roy's ) direction. 'Damnit,' Roy thought. But after glanced at the incoming invaders a few more time, and looking at Dib and Zita, he discovered they were almost the exact same sizes.

So, Roy motioned for the kids to stay down, while he stood up flat against the building, with his two Ka-Bar knives drawn.

After about ten seconds of waiting, the two unsuspecting Irkens finally passed where the three were hiding. "Man, this patrolling stuff is so boring," one Irken commented. "I mean, were is the excitement? All of the humans are either captured or dead. All the fun is g…!" The soldier was never able to finish his sentence.

In a flash, Roy lunged out and drove a Ka-Bar into each of the alien's necks, and yanked them into the alley. Blood was gushing out of their necks, and they tried to scream for help, but Roy won't allow it. He placed his hands around their throats, silencing them as they slowly bleed out. "Take their uniforms," Roy whispered, taking off his jacket to mop up the blood that was oozing towards the street. "Their helmets might be too big for your heads, but the uniforms should fit you both."

Slowly and timidly, both obeyed and started undressing the two dead soldiers.

As the two started stripping the dead aliens of their uniforms, Roy continued to keep a lookout for anymore unexpected guests. And, to their surprise, Roy was dead on about their sizes. While it was a little tight on both of them, the uniforms did somewhat fit their figures. And because of the smooth material they were made of, the aliens' blood slid off without a trace. And while the helmet was a little big for Zita, Dib's helmet fitted perfectly. '… I guess my head is big,' Dib thought.

Now both Dib and Zita were disguised as two Irken Invaders.

After disposing the dead bodies into a nearby dumpster, along with his bloody jacket, Roy took a knee so that he was at eye level with them. "Okay, here's the plan," he began, after looking around to make sure they were still safe. "The base isn't that far from here, right?" Did nodded. "Good. Now, I want you two to pretend to be two aliens on patrol. Since you look damn near exactly like one of them, they won't suspect a thing. I will, however, be with you." Hearing this, Dib and Zita looked at each other suspiciously. "You two _captured _me while on patrol, and are bringing me to the center of town with everybody else. But instead, when we near the base, we sneak into there and figure out what to do."

When neither said anything against the plan, Roy handed Dib his bag of weapons, and had Zita behind him, with her Plasma Rifle in his back. "Keep your answers short and discreet. If things get bad, I want you two to book it towards the base." He motioned downward, and both Dib and Zita saw that attached to the back of his belt were two Beretta Tomcat handguns with silencers on them. "If anything, I could cause a commotion and get their attention while you two make it back to the base."

Zita looked up at the man, wide-eyed. "B-but what about…?"

"I told you before," Roy stated, raising his hands into the air, as if he was being held up, "I know my time is running out. But you two are young, and are the future of the human race. One old man dies, and two children live? That sounds like a even trade if you ask me."

Zita was about to object, but Dib stepped in. "How about all three of us make it to the base in one piece?" After a few seconds of silence, Roy nodded. "Okay," Dib breathed, "here we go."

Dib, disguised as a Irken, marched out into the street. Roy followed behind with Zita behind him, also disguised as a Invader, how had the barrel of her Plasma Rifle pressed against Roy's back. As he saw a Irken patrol coming their way, he took a deep breath, hoping for the best. As they neared the incoming squad, the leader looked at the three suspiciously. But Did, using a low voice, said, "We found him hiding in some Earthling restaurant. Takin' him to the center of town with the others."

A few seconds of dreadful silence followed, before the squad leader nodded his head. "Very good, soldiers. Proceed." So the three stepped aside while the squad passed by, continuing their patrol. Relieved, the three continued down the street until finally, Zim's base was in sight.

'Almost there,' Dib thought. 'I just hope there's something useful for the situation we're in.' They passed by a few more patrols along the way, and they all asked the same thing. So, Dib gave the same answer, which they all believed. Then finally, they made it to the base. There were no mutants or Invaders around, thankfully.

So when it was 100% clear, Roy gave the signal. "Now." Without missing a beat, the three dashed into the front yarn and onto the porch. Dib remembered the code to the base and entered it in. when the door opened up, they all dived in as if they were being shot at, and the door closed behind them.

"Yes! We made it," Zita cried, overjoyed that they actually made it. She pulled off her helmet, flung it onto the couch, and started hugging the floor. Looking at this, Did couldn't blame her for being happy. Before Zim left, he also mentioned that if the Tallest invaded Earth, his base would be same. He said he placed a cloaking device in his base, so that his Irken technology couldn't be detected.

So, as Zita continued hugging the floor, Dib turned to Roy, who was sitting on the floor, catching his breath. "We're safe here," he stated bluntly. "The Invaders can't detect the technology here, so virtually, we're just another house to them…. Now, we need a…"

All of a sudden, a video monitor came from the ceiling. _"Aw, greetings master Dib,"_ Computer greeted. _"I see you're still alive and well. And that you've brought some company with you. Does anyone need anything?" _Before the invasion, Dib altered Computer's demeanor. Now, instead of being smug, sarcastic and sometimes lazy, he's obedient and helpful, almost like a butler.

While Roy and Zita looked at the monitor in surprise, Dib took off his helmet and sighed. "Yes," he answered, "I need you to take us underground to the lab. And if you detect any activity outside, alert us immediately."

"_Very well, master,"_ Computer replied, as three holes opened up in the living room floor. Then, three giant tubes came out and sucked Dib, Zita and Roy up.

_**Down in the Lab…**_

"Aaaaaagh!" *Thump!* Roy was the first to make it to the lab. He fall out of his tube and fell onto the ground, landing on his back. 'Getting too old for this crap,' he though, as his tube retracted into the ceiling. But as he was trying to get up.

*Thump!* Another tube came out of the ceiling, and Dib came out, landing on Roy's stomach, getting a hard "OOF!" from the older man. "Hehehe," Dib chuckled nervously. "Sorry about that…. Hey, has Zita's tube got h…!"

"Eeeeek!" *Thump!* Finally, Zita's tube appear and she fell right atop of Dib and Roy, getting another "OOF!" from the poor man. "That was fun," Zita said obliviously, as she hopped off the two. Dib rolled off Roy, and helped the poor man up. When Zita saw what she did, she scratched the back of her neck and giggled nervously. "Hehehe… Sorry bout' that."

'Damn kids,' Roy thought, getting pulled up to his feet with the help of Dib. "It's alright."

But with all the antics aside, Roy and Zita looked around in amazement. The scene around them was like a scene from a science-fiction movie. Control-panels, giant computer screens, mechanical arms, wires, flashing buttons, the whole shebang. "Welcome to my base," Dib stated, taking a seat at the large table in the middle of the room. He sounded tired. "We will live down here. Computer can help you if you need anything."

Without missing a beat, Roy asked. "Is there a place for me to sleep? After today, this old geezer needs his nap." He chuckled a little at him referring to himself as a "old geezer." Before Dib could answer, Computer came from the ceiling again.

"_Most certainly. Please, follow me."_ Roy raised an eyebrow, but sighed, then followed after the computer monitor.

Now there was just Dib and Zita.

Even though there was a ton of stress lifted from her mind, the situation was still painfully clear to Zita. Their world was being overran by aliens, and nothing can stop them. "D-Dib?" Zita stammered, getting Dib's attention. He had his face in his hands, trying to think of what to do next. "Wh-what will we do?"

Dib looked at her, knowing she was scared. Hell, so was he. In one day, they both lost everything. Her parents were dead, and he didn't know if his father or sister were still alive. And now, their entire planet was taken over…. But he knew that if he wanted that to change, action was called for. And he knew exactly what kind of action was called for. As of this day forward, he was no longer a boy…. He had to change.

"We survive, Zita," he answered, in a way that had a lot of emotion behind it. "We survive to fight, to save our planet…. We survive for our race." When Zita allowed for what he said to soak in, Dib continued. "We need to start a resistance. A small one, but one that cane get stuff done. Maybe if Roy feels up to it, he could teach us some stuff he learned in the military."

After cleaning his glasses, he continued. "It won't be easy, but we have to try. From what Zim mentioned a while back, the Tallest make slaves out of the habitants of any conquered planet. So little by little, we rescue people and bring them into the resistance…. Zim left me some blueprints on how to make more advanced Irken weapons with materials found on Earth. So we can also make our own weaponry…." Then, after another pause, Dib finished up. "Zita…. I don't know how this will end. But I need you to be strong, and help me save our world."

Zita looked at him with wide, frightened eyes. "…. I-I'm scared, Dib," she confessed, holding back tears of fear. Dib looked at her. Zita's eyes were watery, signifying she was trying to keep herself from crying. Her arms and legs were shaking. She was gripping the side of her skirt, nervously clenching her hands down harder and harder. She was scared.

Then, without warning, Dib stood up and caught Zita in a soft embrace. Her body stiffened when Dib continued hugging her. "I know Zita, I'm scared too," he assured, using a calm voice, "but I need to be strong now. I can't let fear stop me from trying to save my planet. We're on our own right now, but soon, we can possibly make a difference…" Dib looked at Zita, almost pleadingly. "Will you be strong for me?"

As Dib refused to break the embrace, all Zita could do was think about what he said. She looked deep into his eyes, and she could tell he was terrified about this too. But here he was, telling her everything can be different. And after thinking about it, she decided he was right…. She had to be strong. She had to survive. If she wants revenge for her parents, she had to grow up faster and take her problems on head-on.

Then, Zita wrapped her arms around Dib and hugged back. Despite her world being taken over, despite her parents getting killed right before her eyes, despite everything that went wrong, for the very _first_ time that day, Zita felt safe, being inside Dib's arms. Slowly, she brought her arms around Dib and started hugging back. "Okay Dib," she whispered softly, "I'll be strong… for you."

Then, something inside Dib snapped. As she hugged back, he felt his heart start to beat a little faster. It hadn't dawned on him that he was hugging Zita, and that she, in fact, and hugging him back. What made it stranger was that neither of them had the urge to stop. As they locked gazes, Dib also felt that his cheeks were getting significantly hotter.

He was blushing…..

He wanted to turn away, but then he noticed something. Zita was smiling at him with a half open gaze, and her cheeks also had a pinkish shade to them. Dib was about to say something, but Zita stopped him by placing her finger against his lips. "Dib, please shut up before you ruin this."

Then, Zita closed the gap between them and softly pressed her lips against his.

Dib's body stiffened as Zita pressed her lips against his in his first kiss. His mind went blank, his body went numb, and the only feeling his had was the feeling in his lips. '…' Dib struggled to come up with a single thought, but when Zita pressed her lips harder against Dib's, it just wasn't possible.

Finally, giving up on using logical thinking, Dib allowed his instincts to take over. His body relaxed, almost melting into the kiss. He pulled Zita in tighter, further intensifying the kiss. Zita let out a soft moan as the kiss finally came to an end. No words were spoken. The two just looked into each other's eyes, until Zita merely rested her head on Dib's shoulders. Feeling like talking would ruin the moment as well, Dib also kept quiet, enjoying this new feeling.

In the shadows, Roy leaned against a wall, smiling. "The next generation lives on," he mumbled to himself, before making his way to his room. "I guess this old dog has some more fight in him…. Might as well let him off his leash."

_**The End…?**_

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA! That's right all my readers out there! That's the best kind of cliffhanger any writer can give! Note between chapters, but between TWO SEPARATE STORIES! HAHAHA! I know some of you are probably wishing for my horrible death, since I haven't updated in so long, and when I do, it was to unexpectedly end the story! BUT! Before you kill me, there will be a part two! So rejoice! But before I say farewell for now, let me make some things clear.

Roy Hartmann is actually my grandfather, Roy Albert Hartman. He did, in fact, fought in WW2. He fought the Japanese, and was apart of the A-Bomb bombing. He died shortly after my dad did, so I thought I should honor him in my story. Sweet, huh?

I am glad to say that I might have some more time than usual to write some more, so expect me to start updating more often. YAAAAAAAAY! Not sure when part 2 will surface. But keep you eyes and ears peeled. The next installment will be in the future, maybe 7-8 years in the future when all the characters are 18 or older. ( And don't worry, everyone's favorite geezer will still be around in there too. :D ) Please contact me if you see any mistakes that I can correct. I hope you all enjoyed the first half of the ride as much as I did. But be patient. After I update some other stories, I'll be sure to continue the madness!


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